Love: The Worst Distraction
by Archerlord
Summary: With Ylisse at war, Robin knows he needs to be completely focused on the war effort. Yet, whenever he sees a certain pegasus knight who is interested more in his best friend than in him, he loses track of his thoughts. The Shepard's tactician cannot be distracted during a time of war, but with each day that passes, he cannot help himself but think of her. (I am awful at summaries)
1. Ambush at Breakneck Pass

It was midday as the Shepards approached Breakneck Pass, escorting the Exalt to the eastern palace for protection. Even before Plegia invaded Ylisse, a band of assassins tried to claim Emmeryn's life. Luckily, Marth was able to warn the Shepards just in time and they were able to fend off the intruders. The leader, a powerful sorcerer, was the last to fall. At first, Robin and Chrom fought him to a standstill, and only with Vaike and Kellam joining the fight was Chrom able to land a fatal blow on the assassin with Falchion. The tactician was glad that the Shepards were able to fend off the assassins with no losses on their side, but feared of another ambush.

As Robin took the lead of the Shepards along with Chrom, Lissa, Frederick and an old man traveling with them, he noted that this pass was the perfect place for an ambush. To the north were mountains and to the south a chasm. Since going back to the capital was not an option, the Shepards could only advance forward. Thinking on how a possible ambush would work, Robin decided that the enemy could easily box them in. As far as he knew, the Plegians were still preparing their armies for war and knew nothing about this escort, Yet, as the tactician for the Shepards, he had to be prepared for battle.

"Ugh, my poor feet," Lissa complained as the Shepards stopped their march for a brief rest. "I've got blisters the size of eggs!"

"Oh, it's not so bad, Lissa. Just a healthy little stroll," Chrom commented as he turned his head to Robin. "How are you holding up, Robin?"

"My legs feel like pudding," Robin panted, taking a deep breath in. "Your endurance astounds me, Chrom."

"Hah! Should I carry you?" Chrom asked jokingly.

"You can carry me!" Lissa exclaimed. "No, seriously. I would really be okay with you carrying me."

"Hmm…" the old man with them muttered under his breath, looking towards the mountains.

"Is something troubling you, Hierarch?" Frederick asked. "You keep glancing up at the peaks."

"Hmm?" the Hierarch looked back to the group, smiling. "Oh, I'm just a b-bit nervous, I'm afraid. Gh-ghastly times, these!"

"Chrom, who is that?" Robin asked curiously as the Hierarch continued to stare up at the peaks.

"The Hierarch? He's been a friend of House Ylisse for many years. He guided Emmeryn during the early years of her rule," Chrom explained. "Why do you ask?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but something feels…" Robin started.

""Grah ha ha!" laughed a man with a Plegian accent from the northern mountains, riding a wyvern. "Time to die, Princey!"

"Plegian soldiers? Damn!" Chrom cursed as he drew Falchion. "How did they know we were here?" Everyone! Prepare for battle!"

Robin turned to the remaining Shepards, thinking of the battle ahead. After the assassins attacked, they were short a few members. Virion, Vaike, Miriel and Ricken all suffered heavy injuries during the fight then. It was a shame too since Virion and Ricken would be perfect to fend off the wyvern riders. Still, Robin needed to decide who would help fend off the Plegians. Anyone who was not in this battle would stay back and protect the Exalt. Already, a plan was formulating in his mind, and he knew who he would be taking.

"Frederick, clear the way to the commander with Sully and Stahl," Robin began ordering. "Chrom, ride with Sumia and engage the wyverns to the north. Lissa, you and Maribelle will follow the knights and provide healing. Donnel and Kellam will cover our flank in case of an ambush. I'll be covering the chasm along with Gaius. Everyone else will stay behind with Phila and protect the Exalt."

"Good plan, Robin," Chrom complimented. "These Plegians won't stand a chance against us."

The Shepards were quick to take action. Lissa ran off to join her friend as Chrom quickly pulled himself behind Sumia on her pegasus. Frederick rode to the front of the group, Sully and Stahl quickly riding to his side. The remaining Shepards pulled back, joining the Exalt and her guard. Donnel climbed on a nearby boulder, keeping an eye out for any ambushers. Although he was not seen, Kellam was somewhere nearby to protect the farm boy. Gaius casually walked up to the tactician, nodding to him.

"Well, this sure is a surprise," Gaius stated, stretching. "I thought you said you wouldn't trust a criminal like me."

"Well, I still don't trust you," Robin stated bluntly. "I just know that it is better to have you on the battlefield, where I can keep an eye on you, rather than having you be on guard duty with the others."

"Is this about me being part of the group trying to kill Emmeryn?" Gaius asked.

"It is," Robin answered.

"Well Bubbles, I'm more of a thief than an assassin," Gaius replied. "Still, I guess I'ma have to prove myself on the battlefield. So, we should get moving."

"Bubbles?" Robin asked to himself as Gaius walked off.

Turning towards the Plegian army, Robin saw the Hierarch on his knees before an enemy soldier. The tactician glared towards the man, now realizing what was happening. The trusted friend of the Exalt's family has now sold them out to Gangrel. Yet, before anyone could act, the Plegian soldier cut down the Hierarch with a swing of his axe, ending the traitor's life. Although he paid the price for betrayal, Robin was disgusted with the soldier's actions. It showed that Plegia does not care for their allies. He pulled out his thunder tome as Gaius drew his sword.

At once, Sumia's pegasus flew towards the mountains, being careful to avoid the wyverns for now so that they could come to her. Frederick, enraged by the Hierarch's death despite his betrayal, quickly rode to face the soldier who executed the traitor. With a jab of his spear, he pierced the soldier's shoulder, injuring him greatly. The barbarian tried to swing his axe towards the knight, but Frederick was able to ride away just in time. Despite being wounded, the soldier was able to fend off Sully, striking her horse successfully. Stahl rode out to strike an exposed archer and cover his fellow knights during the battle. As Lissa and Maribelle both rushed off towards Sully, Robin and Gaius took their positions by the chasm, waiting for the wyverns to come to them.

From below the ridge of the chasm, one of the wyvern riders flew up to the pair. Without hesitating, the rider swung his axe, hitting Gaius across the chest. The thief was badly injured, holding his wound with his free hand as he glared at the Plegian. He charged forward, and struck towards the beast twice. The wyvern roared in pain as it tried flying away. Robin gave it no chance to flee as he muttered a spell from his spellbook, blasting it with thunder. With the wyvern paralyzed, Gaius ran forward again, swinging his sword down on the creature's head to end its life. The Plegian soldier screamed as his beast plummeted toward the river below.

"That's one rider down," Robin said.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I can take down another," Gaius told the tactician, grimacing as he clutched his wound. "I need a healer!"

"Hang on!" Lissa shouted as she ran towards them.

As the princess tended to Gaius' wounds, Robin took a quick moment to observe the battle. It was not going as planned with Sully knocked off her horse, out cold. As her horse rode off, Maribelle pulled the cavalier onto her horse and rode away from the battle. With the Plegians advancing on them, the Shepards could not risk two of their members. Donnel, having the high ground over his opponent, stabbed his lance into a barbarian's throat, ending his life. An archer took aimed at the farm boy, only to be impaled by Kellam, who seemingly appeared out of thin air. Frederick fought with a wyvern briefly before Sumia flew towards the two, knocking the rider off with a swing of her lance as Chrom finished off the wyvern with a stab of his blade. The great knight briefly thanked the two before riding off to join Stahl, who was fighting three Plegians at once.

"This battle isn't going well," Robin muttered under his breath as Stahl fell off his horse from a thief's attack.

"Well, Bubbles, I think things are going to be better soon," Gaius told the tactician, healed and looking back. "There's another pegasus rider coming to lend us a hand."

"Really?" Robin asked, shocked as he looked back. "I wasn't expecting any reinforcements."

As Robin stared off to the distance, he could briefly make out a pegasus knight flying in to the battle. He heard her shouting, but she was too far away for him to make out words. Although there was only one rider, Robin sighed in relief. If she was as good as Sumia, then this new knight could cover the chasm while he and Gaius aided Frederick in his charge. His hope for a victory grew with each second she flew closer to the battle.

"Robin!" Lissa called out. "Behind you!"

Robin turned around quickly, seeing a Plegian barbarian charging towards him. Stahl remained behind the enemy warrior, dismounted from his horse as he clutches a wound to his lower chest. Quickly, Robin began muttering a spell as his foe charged, swinging his axe towards the tactician's side. He was lucky enough to finish the spell as the warrior struck, both attacks hitting. They both fell down as Robin clutched his wound, hoping his foe was dead. Unfortunately, the Plegian stood up, grinning as he approached his opponent. Lissa approached her friend, preparing a healing spell as Gaius stepped up, taking a defensive stance to fend off the Plegian.

As the barbarian charged, a javelin drove into his chest. The Plegian fell onto the ground, coughing up blood as he drew his final breath. As Lissa finished healing him, Robin stood up to turn to the new pegasus knight as she landed next to the fallen soldier. She was armored in steel with a design similar to Sumia's armor as her long, red hair fell across her back. She pulled the javelin from the barbarian's chest, turning to face the group.

"Well, that was a close one," Gaius commented. "Thanks for the help."

"You'll have bigger problems to worry about later," the rider told him. "There are enemy reinforcements coming from the rear."

"Damn," Robin cursed under his breath. "Lissa, get to Stahl and make sure he survives. Gaius, get to Donnel and Kellam. It'll be up to the three of you to fend off the enemy reinforcements."

"Don't worry about it, Bubbles," Gaius said as he ran off. "They'll never see us coming."

"Good luck with whatever you're planning," Lissa told him as she hurried off to Stahl.

"What about us?" the rider asked.

"There are still wyvern riders flying in the chasm, and we have one knight charging to the commander. It'll be up to us to make sure he makes it there," Robin told her as he approached the pegasus. "Before we rejoin the battle, I am Robin, the Shepard's tactician."

"I am Cordelia," the rider introduced herself as Robin pulled himself on top of her pegasus.

"A pleasure to meet you, Cordelia" Robin told her. "Now, we need to get back into the battle."

Cordelia nodded, sending her pegasus flying to the chasm. It was the first time Robin rode a pegasus and did not expect it to be so bumpy. He instinctively grabbed onto Cordelia's side with both of his hands, blushing lightly in embarrassment. As he got use to flying, he pulled one hand away from her to pull out his tome. As he opened the spellbook, he took a quick glance at the battlefield. Sumia and Chrom took down another wyvern rider as Frederick continued his charge alone. Robin was not sure what to think as more Plegians charged the great knight. Frederick was a strong warrior, but even he had his limits.

Turning his head to the front, Robin quickly picked out two wyvern riders flying together and heading straight for Cordelia. She quickly held her lance out to pierce one of the riders through the chest. Quickly, Robin prepared a spell in his tome, firing it off towards the other rider. The Plegian was shot off his wyvern, and while his partner was distracted by the magic, he was swatted off his wyvern by a swing of Cordelia's lance. The wyverns flew past the two, now flying away with no rider to lead them into battle.

As Cordelia prepared to face the final wyvern rider in the chasm, Robin turned to face their rear. Kellam, Donnel, and Gaius were now engaged in battle with three wyvern riders. The knight and the thief were holding their ground, although the farm boy was struggling against his opponent. Lissa, having finished healing Stahl, was rushing back towards the trio to aid them. Things were starting to turn back in their favor. The remaining two wyvern riders, seeing the pegasus knight fly towards them, seemingly backed off as the commander flew down from the mountain. Robin realized what they were about to attempt and was ready to counter it as the remaining riders flew to their commander.

"Fly back to the pass, Cordelia!" Robin ordered. "The Plegians are trying to form around their leader for one final charge!"

Cordelia nodded, flying towards the pass. Sumia flew back to the pass as well, she and Chrom aiding Frederick to fend off two wyvern riders. Working together, the three were able to dispatch the two Plegians, exposing the leader to attack. Meanwhile, Robin took aim at the final barbarian and blasted him with a thunder spell. The Plegian was injured from the fighting and was dispatched of easily. Now, the Shepards outnumbered their attackers. Victory was assured.

"I'll splatter you across the canyon floor!" the commander shouted, taking to the skies.

"He's heading straight for us," Cordelia said, readying her lance for battle.

The commander flew up in the air above Chrom and the others, descending towards the pegasus knight and the tactician. Cordelia raised her lance as Robin prepared a spell from his tome. The lance pierced the wyvern's scales as the thunder blast shocked the beast, ending its life. Yet, the rider remained, swinging his axe towards the pegasus knight. It hit across her chest, breaking through her armor. She dropped her lance as her pegasus began descending to the ground. They landed next to the chasm's ridge as the rider jumped in front of them, holding up a bloody axe. Behind him, Chrom and the others fought against other Plegians, trying to help the tactician.

"Don't worry about me," Cordelia told Robin as she clutched her wound. "I can still fly."

"That's good to hear," Robin replied as he slid off her pegasus. "Get out of here then. Get to Lissa so she can heal you. I'll be able to hold my own against him."

"Are you sure?" Cordelia asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"I am," Robin answered confidently. "Now go. I'll be fine."

Cordelia nodded, flying away to the west. Robin quickly read from his tome, powering up a new spell. The longer he chanted, the more powerful his spell would be. Despite thing, the commander took his time walking to his foe. He dragged his axe across the ground as he grinned towards the tactician. The spell was ready to be unleashed, but Robin held it back. He knew that his opponent had one final trick up his sleeve or else he would not take his time.

A screech to the side caught Robin's attention as he turned towards the chasm. A wyvern rider was now flying towards him, axe raised for an attack. Robin cursed himself for focusing on one opponent, quickly unleashing his charged up spell on the charging Plegian. The thunder blasted the wyvern, ending its life as it fell into the chasm below, the rider along with it. The tactician was drained, but knew he had one final Plegian to fight. As he turned to face the commander, he quickly took a step back to avoid the axe being swung down at him. He was able to escape unscathed, but looked in surprise as his tome fell apart, the pages blowing away with the wind.

"Well, you're alone and disarmed now," the commander taunted. "I'll enjoy tossing your head into the chasm."

"Sounds like you're just talking to stall," Robin shot back as he pulled out his own sword. "Not that it matters. I can still fight and kill you."

"You're out of your league," the Plegian sneered.

While he hated to admit it, but the enemy commander was correct. Robin was skilled with magic, but he was not as good with a sword. Even though he had a weapon advantage over his foe, it would not be enough. The commander was more skilled and the tactician was drained from casting such a powerful spell. Still, he did not need to beat his opponent. He only needed to stall.

The two charged forward, swinging their weapons towards each other. Robin swung too early, and only dealt a glancing blow on his opponent's armor. Meanwhile, the Plegian commander struck towards the tactician's shoulder, biting deeply into his robe and skin. Robin screamed in pain, dropping his sword as the commander's grin grew bigger. The battle was over now.

"You put up a pathetic attempt to fight me," the commander said, pulling his axe as he forces his opponent onto the ground near the edge. "Now, are you ready to die?"

Robin looked up at his opponent, and grinned. The Plegian fell for the exact same trick he pulled on his opponent. With the remaining Plegians dealt with, Chrom charged towards the commander, preparing to cut him down with Falchion. The commander turned his face and tried swinging his axe to block the legendary weapon. The sword knocked the weapon out of the commander's hand before slashing across his chest. The Plegian fell onto the ground, spitting out blood as he turned to look up at his killer.

"You doves think... killing me will change anything?" the commander asked, coughing more blood onto the ground. "Even now, my brothers storm across your precious border. Go on, dear exalted coward! Run! Flee while they slaughter your subjects! Save yourself… let their faith in you… bleed away… with the rest…"

The commander's head fell back against the ground, his life ended. Chrom frowned at the man's warning as he stepped towards his friend, extending a hand out to help him up. Robin grimaced in pain as he gripped Chrom's hand, being lifted from the ground. Afterwards, he quickly placed a hand over his wound, trying to slow down the bleeding. He cursed himself, knowing that even with a healer's help, he will be staying the night in the infirmary. Frederick rode up to the group as Sumia returned to join the Shepards.

Before Chrom could speak, two pegasus knights landed next to them. Emmeryn rode behind Phila and her younger sister rode with Cordelia. Robin sighed in relief seeing that she was able to be healed by Lissa. The princess, seeing the tactician wounded, quickly rushed to him as she pulled out her healing staff. With it, she was able to close Robin's wound, although it still pained him greatly. Now was not the time to show his pain though. The Exalt and the remaining pegasus knights dismounted from their steeds, turning to the group.

"They're gone." Chrom said finally.

"Your Grace! My prince!" Cordelia called out. "Run! As far and fast as you can! More Plegians are coming, not a half day's march behind you!"

"Cordelia, what are you doing here?" Phila asked. "Tell me the border remains secure!"

"That I would, milady! But it would be false…" Cordelia told them, frowning as she continued her story. "Gangrel himself led his might against us! The end was upon us when my knight-sisters begged me fly and warn the Exalt. I should have stayed." She wiped away a tear as her voice started to rise. "I should have stayed! Ah, gods, I can still hear the screams…"

"Peace, Cordelia," Phila said calmly. "You did your duty. The sisters rightly prized your youth. You've many years yet to keep their legacy alive."

"But I abandoned them!" Cordelia said, holding back more tears. "I'm weak. Their legacy deserves better."

"Sometimes fleeing takes the most courage," Phila advised. "They knew that. Now pull yourself together. Let the faith they showed in you give you strength."

"Captain Phila, how can I go on like this?" Cordelia asked, trying to pull herself together as she sobbed. "They were my… my family. Gods… Oh, gods…"

"Damn those monsters!" Chrom cursed, folding his hand into a fist.

"I must return to the capital." Emmeryn stated calmly despite the emotional scene.

"Your Grace, I cannot advise-" Phila started.

"I should have never left," Emmeryn told everyone. "If it's discovered I'm away when this news comes to light, the people could panic. Riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die."

Robin was shocked to hear the Exalt's announcement. He was still wrapping his head over the Plegians taking the border. Despite the danger, Emmeryn still wanted to return to keep her people safe. He was surprised to see a leader care so much for her people. He was even more surprised when she pulled out the Fire Emblem, offering it to Chrom.

"Here, Chrom. I entrust this to you," Emmeryn told her brother, giving the Fire Emblem to him. "Take it to Ferox. To safety."

"And leave you? No, Emm." Chrom denied, trying to give it back.

"No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem. It possesses tremendous power." Emmeryn reminded Chrom, shaking her head. "But too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did in me."

"Emm, come on. You can't..." Chrom started, his voice cracking. "Don't talk like that! You sound like you're ready to give up…"

"I am not giving up, Chrom," Emmeryn told him. "I am only giving what I can."

"Emm, please! This is madness!" Chrom exclaimed.

"Sis, wait! Let me go with you!" Lissa joined in with her brother.

"Stay with Chrom, Lissa," Emmeryn ordered calmly. "I command it."

"This isn't fair!" Lissa said, starting to tear up. "It's not fair! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!"

"Dry your tears, love," Emmeryn smiled, wiping a tear off of Lissa. "This is not good-bye."

"Your Grace, the pegasus knights will accompany you to Ylisstol," Phila informed the group.

"Very well, Phila. Thank you," Emmeryn said.

"I will keep the prince and princess safe, Your Grace," Frederick told her, not showing any emotion. "You have my word."

"I know that you will, Frederick," Emmeryn told him. "Thank you."

"It is my honor," Frederick said dutifully.

"Cordelia. You will stay here with Chrom," Phila ordered.

"But, Captain-" Cordelia tried to argue.

"I know your heart is heavy, but this is how it must be," Phila interrupted. "Your knight-sisters will be with you in spirit, wherever you go."

"May they give me strength," Cordelia muttered under her breath. "As you command, Captain. I will pray for your safety."

"Come, Phila. We must go." Emmeryn said as she walked towards a pegasus.

"No!" Chrom shouted. "You don't have to go! This is absurd!"

"Chrom, you don't-" Emmeryn started.

"Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone!" Chrom interrupted. "Ylisse needs you. WE need you! Be selfish for once in your life!"

"I love you, Chrom," Emmeryn said after a short pause, smiling. "Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek, you cannot see who it is for. I have to go. I'm sorry. I truly am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will come."

"This is a terrible plan," Chrom muttered, looking away from his sister.

"The blood of the first exalt flows strong in us," Emmeryn reminded him. "You and I will keep Ylisse safe. I believe it with all my heart. Safe journey, Chrom. Safe journey, Lissa."

Chrom looked towards his sister, frowning as she walked away. Phila, already mounted on her pegasus, pulled the Exalt on behind her. Together, the two flew back west to Ylisstol, leaving behind the Shepards. Robin sighed, hating to see her go back. Yet, he knew that there was nothing they could do to stop her. He needed to organize a march back to Ferox and get reinforcements. Only then would they be able to help Emmeryn and Ylisse.

"Everyone," Robin broke the silence. "We need to start setting up camp. It's getting late, and we have a long journey ahead of us back to Ferox."

"Hold up," Lissa interrupted. "How is your arm?"

"Oh, this arm?" Robin asked, shaking his bad arm. "Well, there's a bit of pain, but honestly, I'm fine."

"Oh no you're not!" Lissa told him, crossing her arms. "I didn't forget your other injury too. You're heading straight for the infirmary with Cordelia."

"But I'm fine too!" Cordelia protested.

"Better safe than sorry," Lissa shrugged. "Now come along you two. The sooner Maribelle and I check up on you, the sooner you can get back to setting up."

"You better go with her," Chrom advised jokingly. "Frederick and I can handle setting up camp while you two are away."

"Indeed," Frederick agreed seriously.

Robin let out a sigh. As tactician, it was his duty to organize the Shepards both out of and in battle. Still, even he had to admit that he was exhausted after this battle. Perhaps a small break would be good for him. As Robin thought to himself, he did not notice Cordelia walking off, sighing as well. Lissa, growing impatient, grabbed onto the sleeve of his good arm, and started to pull him away. Surprised, he nearly tripped, but regained his footing as he followed her away to the infirmary tent.

* * *

 **Author Notes: Hey everyone. Archer here, and I'm proud to say that this is my first fanfiction for Fire Emblem. If you're not a big fan of hearing the writer talk, then feel free to skip the next few paragraphs.**

 **First off, as I plan on doing whenever I write my first story for any game, I tell a quick story about how I first started playing the game. I started playing last summer. My Wifi was still down, and would continue to be down for the next few days because of a heat wave. Most of my video games were on my computer, so a lot of options for entertainment for me were no longer available. So, during the middle of this event, I decided to make a quick stop at a Gamestop. I saw Awakening there, and remembered a good friend of mine saying it was a really great game. So, I bought it, played it, and it easily became my 2nd favorite 3DS game.**

 **So, to celebrate the one year anniversary of me first playing a Fire Emblem game, I decided to write a fanfic about Robin and Cordelia, the pairing of my latest playthrough of Awakening. Now, I'm just going to say this now, I have no experience when it comes to writing this kind of story. Still, I hope to learn a new skill by taking this chance.**

 **Just a few things to note before I finish. The two weaknesses I can pick out from this story is going way into detail with a battle scene and following the game. The first weakness is just me loving to write battles and get carried away (It was about 1 in the morning when I realized that I wasn't even half way done with the combat scene.) As for following the game, I wrote this whole story out while playing through the chapter. Which basically means that all combat that happened actually happened in the game. Which means that both Stahl and Sully were defeated in the game as seen in this chapter. I may change one or both of these in the future, but I just thought I would tell you all first.**

 **Finally, I highly suggest that if you enjoyed the story to keep on reading it and post a review to help me out on what I should fix and what I'm doing right. Soon, I'm going to make a schedule on when I'll update this story but since I am technically on vacation, I'll be thinking about that when I get home.**

 **Until next time.**


	2. Two Paths

Robin was fortunate enough that he was just overreacting and expecting the worst about his arm. He was not confined to the medical tent but his the cut to his side still stung. The tactician made a reminder to pick up some salve in the morning along with his backup tome. Asides from his own recovery, some of the Shepards injured at the castle would be cleared for duty. And with his plans for the journey to Regna Ferox, it would give time for those wounded during today's battle to recover as well. He just hoped that Chrom would understand his intentions.

Robin walked out of the medical tent, looking around the camp as the sun started to set. While he was healed, the other Shepards made quick work of setting up camp on the other side of Breakneck Pass. The tents were pitched around a clearing with each serving a different purpose. The tactician made his way to a royal blue tent in the center of the camp. It served as a command center where Robin would meet with Chrom and Frederick to discuss tactics.

Sure enough, both were waiting for Robin as he entered the tent. They stood around a square, wooden table with maps laid across it. Chrom stared down at the maps, not even noticing the tactician walking up to the table. Frederick nodded towards Robin but otherwise made no attempt to alert his lord about his arrival. The tactician lightly tapped the wooden table with his knuckles, alerting Chrom to his presence as he raised his head to look at the tactician.

"Robin, it's good to see you're well," Chrom told him with a smile. "I thought we would have to start without you."

"Thanks. Now, are we waiting for anything before we start?" Robin asked.

"Just you," Frederick answered. "Although we have been talking about our plan for tomorrow so you should be free to leave in just a few minutes."

"I've done some thinking of my own for that as well," Robin replied. "But I am willing to listen to whatever idea you may have."

"Well, it's simple really," Chrom started, picking up a quill that rested in the ink bottle. "We'll take the main road back to the Longfort in Regna Ferox. It is the quickest path to take."

Using the quill, Chrom drew the path he wanted to take tomorrow. It was the fastest way to meet with the Khans so they could send reinforcements to aid Ylisse and Emmeryn. Yet, if the border fell, then the Plegians had full access to all of the halidom, including the main road. Robin realized that while being tended to and came up with a new plan to get the Shepards safely to Regna Ferox. It would take longer but at least Chrom and the Fire Emblem would be safe. Chrom finished drawing the path, setting the quill back in the bottle. Afterwards, he turned to look at the tactician to hear his input.

"Chrom, I agree that we need to head back to Regna Ferox, but we need to think about the big picture," Robin told him, reaching for the quill. "For all we know, the Plegians could have control of that road now."

"If they do, we'll fight our way through," Chrom argued.

"Sully and Stahl need time to recover from today and we don't need more Shepards to join them as well," Robin countered, starting to draw his path on the map. "If we travel around the coast of the lake to the north, then travel through the wilderness to the Longfort. It would take longer, of course, but asides from some brigands, we'll be safe."

"What about Emm?" Chrom asked, his voice growing. "She's waiting for the Feroxi armies to arrive at Ylisstol. If we take too long, then the Mad King will march straight for the capital. She's depending on us to stop the Plegians."

Robin sighed, setting the quill back in the ink bottle. He agreed with Chrom about wanting to help Emmeryn before Gangrel marches upon the capitol. Yet, thinking about it, it was very likely that the Plegian would hold control over Ylisstol by this time tomorrow. Robin could not tell Chrom about it yet. Right now, he needed to lead the Shepards to Regna Ferox. Being the tactician of the Shepards, it was his job to plan a safe journey there.

"Milord," Frederick interrupted. "I must agree with Robin on this matter. It is my duty to ensure that you are safe. If we take the main road back, not only is your life at stake, but we also risk the Fire Emblem falling into Plegian hands. With Robin's choice, that risk is gone."

"Perhaps you are both right," Chrom sighed in defeat. "Still, the faster we can get there, the better. Emm is waiting for us."

"And we'll get to her before the Plegians," Robin assured his friend. "I think you just need some rest, Chrom. I think we all could use some rest. Today has been a long day."

"You're right about that," Chrom agreed, closing his eyes for a moment in thought. "I trust that you two can finish up here. Do you mind if I take an early leave?"

"We won't mind at all," Robin answered, smiling. "We're almost done anyways. It'll only take another minute or two to wrap things up."

"Thank you," Chrom said, opening his eyes.

Chrom smiled briefly at his friends before turning to leave the tent. Robin watched him leave for a moment, then turned back to the maps. The tactician knew that his friend only wanted to do what was right and he respected him for that. Yet, he had to understand that both Chrom and Lissa would be affected by Emmeryn heading back to Ylisstol. All of the Shepards would be affected by it as far as Robin knew. He could not worry about that for now. He needed to focus on getting the Shepards safely to Regna Ferox.

"Do you have anything else to say about the plan?" Robin asked Frederick.

"If I recall, with this path, we may encounter a town somewhere in the wilderness," Frederick thought aloud. "I'll admit that my memory may not the best about if it is there. I still thought it would be best you knew about it."

"If we do find this town, it would make for a good resting point," Robin noted. "Thank you for telling me about this."

"Of course," Frederick said. "Is there anything else you need before we finish this meeting?"

"Actually, now that I remember, we do have a new member with the Shepards now, right?" Robin asked, curious.

"We do," Frederick answered. "Cordelia is one of the more younger Pegasus Knights. Yet, from what I saw of her, she is very gifted. She will make for a great addition to the Shepards."

"Indeed she will," Robin agreed. "I saw what she was capable of during the battle today. We are lucky to have her."

"Indeed we are, but I am not sure if she's ready to fight again," Frederick told him. "Her fellow Pegasus Knights sacrificed their lives to have her escape. That must weigh heavily on her shoulders."

"I didn't even think about that," Robin muttered lowly. "That is all. I'll get going to my tent then. Can you tell the rest of the Shepards of our plan in the morning?"

"Of course," Frederick answered.

With a nod, Robin turned and left the tent. Night had just fallen with torches now lit around the camp. The tactician made his way to his tent, briefly thinking about the Shepard's new recruit. From what he saw today, he knew that Cordelia was very talented and skilled. She was cleared from the medical tent before him, so he knew that she was recovering from the battle. Yet, the tactician had to wonder if the Pegasus Knight was doing emotionally. Robin could not even bear the thought of losing a single Shepard which was why he strived to create new tactics to ensure that there would be not a single casualty. He needed to check on how Cordelia was handling the loss of her comrades. He would be sure to talk to her in the morning so he does not disturb her rest tonight.

Robin approached his tent, the dark color of it making it nearly concealed in the night. He opened the flap of the tent, stepping in to look inside. A small, wooden desk accompanied by a chair had been set up in one corner, a single candle lit on the desk. Documents were laid out on it but the tactician was too exhausted to read up on reports for now. In the center of the tent was his bedroll, which was already rolled out thanks to whoever set up his tent to begin with. He walked over to the desk and blew out the candle. Afterwards, he took off his robes and placed it carefully on the back of the chair. Robin collapsed on his bedroll, closing his eyes. It only took a few minutes for the tactician to fall asleep, moving on from the events that took place today.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone. So, we have a bit of a short chapter here compared to the first chapter, and I do apologize for that. I wrote two drafts for this chapter before I wrote this. Although the previous two drafts were longer, the events that took place in them rushed the story a bit. I'm the kind of writer to takes his time with the story, especially when writing with canon characters. The good news is that some of the events that took place in the previous drafts will be in the next two chapters, so I shouldn't have to worry about that problem for now. Plus, they'll be longer than this!**

 **Also, I would like to say how surprised I was when I posted the first chapter about a month ago. Already I had people following it and even writing reviews. Seeing all the support only inspired me to write harder to continue the story. Originally, the schedule for posting chapters was going to be every other Monday after submitting the second chapter. Yet, I'm changing that now to every Monday, even though I am still trying to get use to writing something completely different than what I am use to. So, again, thank you.**

 **Until next time.**


	3. Morning Schedule (Part One)

Robin woke up, a bit sore from his recovering injuries but otherwise fine. Standing up from his bedroll, he headed over to his desk, slipping his robes back on. Taking a peek outside his tent flap, seeing the sun rising in the distance. Figuring that most of the Shepards were still sleeping this early. The tactician planned his schedule for the morning. He would need to take inventory at the storage tent with new weapons acquired after the last battle. Afterwards, he would clean himself up at the bathing tent before heading off to breakfast. Finally, he would join the Shepards for a quick training session before they start marching back to Regna Ferox.

With his plan set, Robin left his tent, making his way towards the storage tent. It was not too far away, being towards the center of camp. It was larger than the other tents and light brown in color. Entering the tent, it was exactly how he left it during his last visit. Weapons were laid out across different racks with armor and other supplies packed into crates. There was a desk in a corner where the tactician would keep notes on the Shepard's inventory in a journal. Walking over to the desk, he heard movement from behind an open crate and turned his head to the noise. To his surprise, he realized that he was not alone.

"Cordelia?" Robin said, astonished.

"Oh, good morning, Robin," Cordelia greeted, standing up. "What're you doing this early?"

"I'm here to take inventory of our spoils from the last battle," Robin answered, scratching his head in confusion. "But I should be the one asking you what you're doing this early."

"Well, I thought that I could take inventory," Cordelia replied. "I'm just trying to find a way to help out in the Shepards and figured that after the battle, you would want some time to rest. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Robin nodded. "Yet, after that battle, you probably need rest more than I do."

"Chrom will need all of us for this war," Cordelia reminded him. "My injuries are healed so I'm more than ready to get back into action."

"Well, it's good to hear that you're recovering, but don't push yourself too hard," Robin told her. "Now, if you can tell me what you have down already, I can work on finishing up the work here."

"Oh, I finished actually," Cordelia said with a smile. "After the battle, we recovered a steel axes, three iron axes and two iron swords along with three flasks of vulneraries. We should be done here now."

Robin quickly went to work, opening the journal and pulling the quill from the bottle of ink. Quickly, he started to scribble down the items the Shepards acquired after the battle. Although the supplies were few, the tactician was amazed by Cordelia's performance. Without anyone asking, she was one of the first Shepards to wake up and went straight to work. Her work method might be different than his own but it was clearly more efficient. For a moment, he considered if it would be best to have her help with his duties as quartermaster.

Yet, Robin reminded himself that this could be how Cordelia was coping with the loss of her fellow Pegasus Knights. The tactician was certain that if most of the Shepards were wiped in a battle, working harder would be his way of dealing with his pain at first. It would distract himself from his emotions but was a temporary method at best. At least for now her emotions were not affecting her performance.

"And done," Robin declared out loud, resting the quill back in the ink bottle before scanning through the journal. "Thank you for your help, Cordelia."

"No problem at all, Robin," Cordelia replied. "Are you still looking for something? You haven't set that journal down. Which isn't really neces-"

"I'm just double checking on how many magical tomes we have," Robin interrupted by answering her question.

"We have two tomes remaining," Cordelia reported. "An Elfire and Elwind."

"Again, thank you," Robin said, finding the page on tomes in his journal after she answered him.

Walking over to a small, wooden chest and opened it. Inside were twot omes each used for mages to cast spells. The remaining tomes belonged to Miriel and Ricken, the two resident mages of the Shepards. Although he was sure that they would not mind if he borrowed one of their back ups until he could get his own, he decided it was a risk not to take. Unlike them, he could supposedly fend for himself with his sword. With that in mind, he slammed the chest closed.

"If you don't mind me asking, but do you really need to carry a sword with you when you can cast spells?" Cordelia asked.

"Honestly, I only carry it with me because I had it when I first woke up," Robin admitted, turning to face Cordelia.

"When you woke up?" Cordelia raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you don't know that story yet," Robin commented. "Well, Chrom first found me out cold in the middle of a field. I had no memory of who I was except for my name but I had this same sword with me at the time. So, I guess in a way, it's kind of sentimental to me."

"Well, if you're going to carry it out into the battlefield, you will need to learn how to fight with it," Cordelia told him. "From what I saw, you're very inexperienced when it comes to fighting with a sword. You almost got yourself killed fighting the commander."

"Well, I made a bunch of mistakes that day," Robin confessed. "I underestimated my opponent and didn't check for flanking enemies. If it wasn't for Chrom, I would be dead right now."

"You are lucky that Chrom was there," Cordelia agreed, turning her head away from Robin briefly. "Still, he won't always be there for you."

Mentally, Robin realized that she was right about him needing to train. Ever since his first battle, he preferred fighting with magic over his sword. He focused on that, and any skill he had with a blade grew rusty. Maybe if he kept at his training, he could of stood his ground better again that Plegian. There was nothing stopping him from leaving Ricken and Miriel to join the others for practice sparring sessions. Yet, there was a one problem he would need to solve.

"Well, I suppose today, I shall start learning how to fight with my sword," Robin declared. "I just need to find someone who can help instruct me. I'd rather not endure Frederick's training.

"Yes, I heard from Sumia how strict he is," Cordelia turned her head back to Robin. "You could always ask Chrom. He's quite skilled and you're friend."

"Yes, he is, but with what happened yesterday, I may need to wait a day or two before I ask him to train me," Robin replied. "Of course, if I was looking for someone to train me based on skill, I would go to Lon'qu."

"Lon'qu? Is he better than Chrom?" Cordelia asked with a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Well, they never sparred together, but I think so," Robin answered truthfully. "Don't get me wrong. Chrom is an amazing swordsman, but based on what I've seen in the field, I'd say Lon'qu barely surpasses him. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to him about training."

"Well, if you think that'll work for you," Cordelia shrugged. "I should get to cleaning up around here."

"Of course, I'll leave you be," Robin said. "See you later."

For a second, Robin hesitated to leave the tent, although he was unsure why. A thought in his mind told him that maybe he should help Cordelia clean up, but he figured that if she needed the help, she would have asked. Besides, with what the tactician just saw, he knew she was more than capable enough of handling herself. He looked forward to fighting with her in the upcoming days, already thinking of ways a second flyer can help the Shepards in battle.

Robin left the tent, stretching lightly while taking in a breath of fresh air. The tactician made a quick change to his schedule. Without a spell tome, he would not be able to train with Ricken and Miriel at all. Instead, he would work with Lon'qu for today and improve his swordsmanship. Like Cordelia said, if he was going to carry his sword around with him, he should know how to fight with it. With the plan now set, Robin headed off, ready to follow the rest of his schedule.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, a bit sorry for the delay on this chapter. Long story short, I was sick for awhile, and after writing the first draft for it, I again realized the story was a bit rushed, so we have this instead (the original plan was to do Robin/Cordelia's C-Support). With that out of the way, I'll take some time to give a reply to the reviews.**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Yeah, I figured by taking my time with the canon characters, I can stay true to their character. This is my first major work with a cast of only canon characters so this is a huge priority. And as you can see, the scheduling is more of a goal. I try to work on writing whenever I have free time and hope to have a chapter done by a week. Yet, if something comes up, like being sick, then of course I'll take a delay. So don't worry about me staying too attached to that schedule.**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: Good eye picking out Cordelia reliving that memory in chapter 1. That's what I was aiming for and due plan on bringing back up again at the perfect moment (again, not trying to rush the story). As for the town coming up, I think I have something different in mind based on your description, but for the sake of the story, I will not spoil it.**

 **pkmn2112: I do try my best to reread through each chapter for mistakes, but I'll admit that I do miss some. I hope to one day go back through this story, pick out the mistakes I made, and fix them, which I believe will show my improvement as a writer in the upcoming future.**

 **While this was a bit of a short chapter, that's because I had to change a few things to make the plot better. As mentioned last chapter, I already have something planned for chapter 4, which is still going to happen despite this change. I left a small hint regarding how it may start that some of the more observant readers with the necessary knowledge may pick out.**

 **Until next time.**


	4. Morning Schedule (Part Two)

"Gaius, I am so sorry about earlier!" Robin apologized nervously, walking towards the mess hall tent with the thief. "I had no idea you were in the tent."

"No worries," Gaius shrugged indifferently. "At least I hadn't taken off my smallclothes yet, eh?"

Rushing into the bath tent, Robin barged in on Gaius accidently while he was taking off his ragged clothing. Immediately, the tactician escaped from the tent, very embarrassed. He thought about continuing to run off, but decided to remain until the thief was finished for two reasons. The first was to apologize to Gaius, wanting to do it sooner rather than later.

The second was the strange marking he saw on Gaius' right arm. Robin swore he saw the same image in a book before covering the laws of Ylisse. Of course, knowing the thief, he figured it would not have been too much of a stretch if he had been branded as such before. Still, the tactician thought it would be best to discuss this with Gaius before deciding on revealing it to Chrom or the other Shepards.

"Yes, but, I may have seen more than you intended," Robin started carefully.  
"What?! You saw that?!" Gaius exclaimed, alarmed. "Gods, how embarrassing. It's just, uh, some poison oak I got the other day, I swe-"

"Not that!" Robin interrupted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm talking about the tattoo on your arm. It's the one they use to mark convicts, isn't it?"

"Oh, that?" Gaius regained his composure. "Yeah, I got caught once doing a favor for a mate. Paid the price. But, uh, I'd appreciate it if you kept that little nugget under your hat, Bubbles."

"You're still going to call me Bubbles," Robin sighed, arriving in front of the mess hall tent. "But don't worry, I won't tell any-"

"You'll tell everyone, you say? So, it's to be blackmail is it?" Gaius quickly interrupted, ignoring Robin. "Fine then. I can understand taking an opportunity to line your pockets. You can have my portion of dinner tonight, okay? Will that stake your greed for now?!"

Robin turned to Gaius, surprised by his reaction. The tactician was just telling the thief that he was going to keep the tattoo a secret, but he was not listening. Perhaps it had something to do with Robin saying he did not trust him yesterday, something he hoped to clear up later. Seeing Gaius stand up to protect the tactician and Lissa instead of running was enough to prove the thief worthy of being part of the Shepherds now. For now, Robin needed to clear this situation up first though.

"One helping of bear is already more than enough, thanks," Robin denied politely. "Also, I'm not blackma-"

"You drive a hard bargain, Bubbles!" Gaius declared, pulling out a slice of pie from his sleeve. "Very well. Take this custard pie!"

"Where did you…" Robin started, shaking his head. "Never mind. I'm not-"

"If you're looking for ransom, I can assure you I don't have any money," Gaius told the tactician. "But what I do have are a very particular set of honey cakes."

"Look, I don't want any treats from you. I'll keep your blasted secret!" Robin declared loudly.

"Woah, easy there, Bubbles!" Gaius said, now pulling out a bottle in his other hand. "Here, maybe a little sweet wine will put you in a better mood."

"Gaius, it's morning, and I give up," Robin sighed, heading into the tent.

"Well, looks like I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you just so you don't go telling anyone my secret," Gaius followed suit, the sweets disappearing from his hands.

The two walked into tent, where three, long tables were set up. The Shepard's breakfast was set out on the center table, ready to be taken. For today, it was two slices of bread with jam spread on and water skins. Robin was not sure who made breakfast for today. He remembered how it was supposed to be Stahl, but given his current condition, the knight was still resting in the medical tent.

The remaining Shepherds were sitting on benches at the other two tables, the tactician realizing that he and Gaius were the the last to arrive. Most of their comrades sat at one table. Chrom and Lissa at at one end, still eating, while Sumia and Cordelia sat towards the middle, having finished breakfast and were talking to each other. At separate ends of the other table sat Lon'qu, sharpening his sword with a whetstone, and Donnel, eating. Asides from those injured in the previous battle, the only Shepherds missing were Frederick, Maribelle, Panne, and maybe Kellam. Robin grabbed a plate and took a seat next to Chrom. Gaius followed suit, sitting in front of the tactician and next to Lissa.

"Good morning, everyone," Robin greeted with a smile.

"Morning, Robin," Chrom said, taking a bite from his food.

"So, Blue," Gaius started. "Where is everyone? I don't think this is even half of us."

"Blue?" Chrom asked, confused.

"Well, Maribelle went to check on the wounded," Lissa answered, giggling lightly. "Truth be told, they're mostly fine though. I think she's just using it as an excuse to see Virion."

"In all seriousness, some of our injured should be back in action today," Chrom reported. "Asides from Virion, Ricken and Miriel should be able to march with us today. And everyone else should be in fighting condition tomorrow."

"That's good to hear," Robin commented. "How about Frederick, Panne and Kellam?"

"I'm right here," Kellam announced, suddenly appearing to the side of Donnel much to everyone's surprise. "I was the one who made breakfast, actually."

"Gods!" Gaius jumped up from his seat. "How lon- Where did he go?"

"Oh, Kellam does that a lot," Lissa told him, holding back laughter. "You're new, but you'll get use to it, just like the rest of us!"

At the mention of new members, Robin turned his head aside to check on how Cordelia reacted to Kellam, realizing the two probably have not met yet. She and Sumia stood up and were about to leave when the knight announced himself. While Sumia was not that surprised, Cordelia instinctively reached for her lance before dropping her guard. The two pegasus knights nodded at each other before leaving the tent. Robin turned his attention back to the others: Chrom and Lissa had just finished eating while Gaius looked at the tactician, giving off a strange, knowing smile.

"Back on topic, Frederick left earlier in the morning," Chrom told them. "He wanted to see if we could stop by a village on our way to Regna Ferox. Panne is somewhere in camp. I saw her earlier but she left to hunt, I believe."

"Well, I guess we'll meet them on the way there then," Robin thought out loud.

"Well, we'll leave you two to eat then," Chrom decided, standing up. "Lon'qu and I need to get ready to train in a few minutes. I think it's going to be just us two today."

"And I'm going to check on the medical tent one last time," Lissa joined in, standing up as well.

"Wait, Chrom," Robin interrupted quickly. "I was thinking about joining in on the martial training today. After that close call, I thought it would be best if I finally learn how to fight with a sword."

"Good thinking," Chrom complimented. "Although I'm not sure how that'll work out for today. I guess the three of us can take turns sparring."

"I could join in," Gaius offered. "I mean, if my other option is help taking down camp with Farm Boy and whatever his name was, I'll gladly join in."

"You want to spar with my brother?" Lissa asked, giggling. "He's going to wipe the floor with you!"

"Well, excuse me, Princess," Gaius said sarcastically. "Asides, I think I can handle Blue. I picked up a trick or two here and there."

"Don't call me Princess!" Lissa demanded, crossing her arms before walking out of the tent.

"You might want to listen to her," Chrom suggested, grinning as he walked after his sister. "I might not hold back on you. Come on, Lon'qu. We'll have to wait for Robin and Gaius to finish breakfast."

Lon'qu grunted, standing up to sheath his sword. Together, the prince and swordsman walked out of the mess tent, leaving their comrades to continue eating. While eating, Robin took notice of Donnel leaving the tent as well and plates disappearing one by one from the center table. Soon, in a few hours, the Shepherds would be on the move again.

Robin focused on finishing his breakfast so he can catch up with Chrom and Lon'qu. Gaius finished afterwards, grinning at tactician. He blinked at the thief, unsure of what he was thinking. Looking back, Robin realized that Gaius was giving him a strange look all throughout breakfast. After thinking on that, the thief leaned in on the table, speaking.

"So, you and Cordelia," Gaius started, smirking. "I'm a bit surprised, actually."

"What are you going on about, Gaius?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I saw the way you looked at her," Gaius told him. "You find her attractive."

"W-what?!" Robin stuttered, his cheeks turning light red.

"You heard me, Bubbles, although your reaction proves it," Gaius grinned. "I don't really blame you for falling for her of all Shepards. She is per-"

"I'm not falling for her!" Robin declared. "I just met her yesterday and talked to her once! People don't fall in love that quick!"

"You're the one who brought up love, not me," Gaius shrugged lightly. "It doesn't matter. I could tell her that you are in love with her, and she wouldn't care. She's head over heels for Blue, you know?"

"She is?" Robin asked quickly, shocked. "How can you tell?"

"Well, I'll be honest with you," Gaius started. "You were way too obvious with it. Same goes for her. Honestly, if Chrom wasn't so oblivious to romance, he'd probably pick up on it too."

Robin leaned back, sighing while thinking to himself. Much to the tactician's surprise, he did admit there might have been some truth to Gaius' words. Now that he thought on it, Cordelia was rather stunning and beautiful. Kind, hardworking, and a loyal Shepherd. Robin pushed those thoughts aside as quickly as they came to mind. Being the tactician of the Shepherds, he was sure that there was something wrong about having such thoughts about those under his command.

Speaking of command, for a brief moment, when Gaius was talking about him, Robin felt jealous of Chrom. After meeting the prince in the field, the tactician followed him with complete loyalty. After all they have gone through, he admitted that Chrom was practically like a brother. Again, he pushed this emotional thoughts aside, finally noticing that Gaius now stood, looking upon Robin.

"You done daydreaming yet, Bubbles?" Gaius joked, smirking before walking away.

"I wasn't daydreaming!" Robin defended himself, quickly following after Gaius.

"Keep telling yourself that," Gaius shrugged in indifference. "Wish me luck against Blue. I'm probably going to need it."

"Heh, the same goes for me and Lon'qu," Robin smiled lightly.

The duo walked out of the tent, Robin trying to gather his emotions. He cautioned against being emotional, both in the short and long run. For the former, he would have to face a calculating swordsman in battle and needed his undivided attention if he did not want to be defeated so easily. For the latter, as tactician as the Shepherds, he had a war to plan to plan for soon. Viewing the Shepherds as his family, Robin knew that he could not place one Shepherd over the other, excluding Chrom and Lissa of course. Hopefully, this would be the last time he would have such thoughts.

* * *

 **A/N: Great news everyone: I'm back with another chapter!**

 **Alright, I got a bit of explaining to do regarding my absence. It all started with me taking some time off from fanfiction writing to focus on preparing for NaNoWriMo, something I hoped to finish unlike the previous two years. Unfortunately, despite trying so hard, I couldn't reach the word count just yet. Yet, after all that writing, I decided to take a break. I took a bit of that time reorganizing my plot notes for all my fanfics, mainly focusing on the conclusion of my Warcraft one.  
**

 **And even being absent for months, I was still surprised by the people that were still liking my story. It inspired me to continue focusing on plotting out the rest of the narrative so I can get back to you guys. And for that, I thank you. I shall continue writing, and starting with the next chapter, I will be addressing new reviews (I read the past ones, I assure you. It's been awhile since I did and I lost my thoughts on them. I apologize). The next chapter may be delayed by a week since I will be filling out an important application then.**

 **Until next time.**


	5. The Wingman

Robin only now realized how big of a mistake it was to train with Lon'qu. Going into training, the tactician complimented the combat warriors in Regna Ferox before asking to be trained. While the warrior stated it would be better to continue learning from the Knights of Ylisse, he agreed to help Robin. Yet, Lon'qu did not plan on teaching and told the tactician he would have to learn through a very painful sparring match.

During their fight, Robin realized just how skilled Lon'qu was. The tactician raised his training sword to block the incoming attack aimed at his shoulder. As quickly as the blades connected, Lon'qu swung his wooden sword to his uninjured side. He groaned in pain, fortunate enough that the warrior was not striking his healing injuries, before charging in for an attack. Lon'qu parried the blade with ease followed by swinging his blade towards Robin's head. The tactician backed away from the blunt weapon only to be kicked down onto his back by his opponent.

Lon'qu backed off from Robin, taking up his combat stance while keeping an eye on his opponent. Ever since they started, their match had been mostly one-sided. Robin could not stand against Lon'qu's offense and had yet to land a single blow on his opponent. Yet, battling that Plegian commander, the tactician could not give up at honing his martial skill. Gritting his teeth in pain, he slowly stood back up, assuming his own combat stance.

"This is the fourth time you've fallen, yet you still continue," Lon'qu stated without a hint of emotion.

"Well, I can't give up now, not when I have more to learn from you," Robin told the warrior. "Besides, if I ever get into a real fight, my enemy would go for the finish instead of giving me time to recover."

"Well said," Lon'qu nodded, smirking.

Suddenly, Lon'qu was off the ground, swinging his blade down upon his opponent. Robin sidestepped the blow, the wooden sword spreading dirt as it strikes the ground instead. The tactician jabbed his practice blade against the warrior only for him to block it while crouching down. Lon'qu swung again, his blade striking the tactician's knee. Robin let out a yelp of pain, swinging his blade down upon his opponent. Lon'qu backed away with ease, standing up straight.

The warrior went on the offensive again, unleashing an onslaught of slashes and stabs upon the injured tactician. Robin tried his best to keep up with Lon'qu's speed, parrying a blow aimed at his chest before blocking another aimed at his neck. He blocked another swing down on his shoulder before Lon'qu kicked at his injured knee. Robin knelt down, looking back at his opponent to see his next attack. He raised his blade to protect his injured side, the wooden swords connecting. Yet, Lon'qu ended the fight with a quick strike to Robin's head, connecting with the side of his chin. The tactician fell back down, groaning in pain.

"You're improving," Lon'qu told him. "That was the longest you've lasted against me."

"Well, thanks," Robin groaned. "Give me a moment. I can go for another round."

"Actually, Robin, we're done training for today," Chrom walked forward, extending a hand to his friend.

` Exhausted, he reached up, grasping Chrom's hand. The prince then pulled the tactician back onto his feet. Robin took a quick look around, seeing Gaius walking behind Chrom, breathing deeply. Given their conditions, the tactician could only assume that the prince managed to best the thief. It was no surprise, given Chrom's skill with a blade, although he now wondered how his friend would fare in a duel against Lon'qu after his recent sparring match.

"So, onto business," Chrom started. "While we were sparring, Gaius had a smart idea."

"And what's that?" Robin asked, curious.

"Well, we're going to be sending our fliers out after Frederick," Chrom answered. "That way, if there's any trouble on the way, the main force can be warned ahead of time."

"You know, that actually is a good idea," Robin complimented.

"Well, thanks, but it gets better, Bubbles," Gaius replied, grinning.

"Robin, you'll be leading the scouting party consisting of Sumia, Gaius and Cordelia," Chrom told his friend. "If there is an enemy force, you can have a strategy in mind for the rest of us when we arrive."

The dots started to connect in Robin's head, realizing Gaius' intentions. The thief did not care about the strategical importance of his idea. Rather, he was more interested in making sure he spends time with Cordelia. It seemed to contradict what he had said earlier in the morning about how she was not interested though. The tactician could not help but wonder what else Gaius had planned.

Still, there was no denying that they would have to go through with this plan, Robin realized. A four man team was the right size to send and the right people were chosen for the job. One of the pegasus riders can leave to warn the rest of the Shepherds while the other could keep guard. Gaius would be able to find out how much of the enemy there was for Robin to calculate a plan. The tactician tried to think of a replacement for the thief but could only come up with three names: Kellam, Virion, and Lon'qu. He probably would not be able to find Kellam, Virion had just finished recovering and Lon'qu would never willingly ride with a woman. So, he would have to settle with Gaius.

"Very well," Robin finally said, nodding. "I suppose we shall leave at once, then?"

"That's right," Chrom answered, walking off. "Be sure to pack any supplies you'll need before meeting up with Sumia and Cordelia, the both of you."

And with that, the prince walked off. Lon'qu silently grabbed the remaining practice swords before following after Chrom. Gaius remained, still grinning at his success. Robin was not sure how to respond to the thief. On one hand, his idea was sound and would prove to aid the Shepards if there was trouble waiting on the road. On the other hand, Gaius seemed to suggested it for his own, personal reasons while not caring of the strategical value.

"So, I'll ride with Stumbles," Gaius broke the silence. "Oh, and Bubbles, you're welcome."

"You're welcome?" Robin repeated.

"She may not be interested in you right now, but with me as your wingman, I'm going to fix that." Gaius told him, avoiding the question.

"Gaius, I don't need your help as a wingman," Robin replied.

"Well, who're you going to turn to instead?" Gaius asked. "Blue's too oblivious so he won't be any help and Q-"

"Q?" Robin interrupted, confused.

"He spent most of the morning hitting you with a wooden sword," Gaius explained. "Q: Simple and straight to the point."

"That's actually not that bad of a nickname," Robin mused before getting back on topic. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that, I'm not interested in Cordelia like that. We just met yesterday."

"Don't lie to a thief, Bubbles," Gaius told him. "I can hear the truth in your voice. Oh, and your face being red as her hair also helps."

"Wait, what?" Robin asked, surprised as he realized he is blushing.

"Now, if you excuse me, I'll need to pack up some sweets for the trip," Gaius announced. "You want some now? You might be able to share-"

"Gaius!"

"Guess not," Gaius held in a laugh.

The thief ran off, audible laughter escaping from his lips. Robin let out a frustrated sigh, putting a hand to cover his red cheeks. The tactician was not sure if Gaius had in mind. While it seemed with his actions that he was interested in helping despite the obvious actions. Yet, his behavior convinced Robin that the thief was only in it to get a good laugh out of it. If Cordelia was not interested in him romantically, then Gaius was manipulating him to embarrass himself.

Of course, if she did hold some feelings for him…

Robin quickly pushed that thought aside, knowing that it possibly could not be true. The tactician supposed that if anyone was good at seeing what people wanted, it would be Gaius. If the thief said that Cordelia was interested in Chrom and not him, it might be the truth. Yet, if Robin took that into account, then he must acknowledge that he did have feelings of some form for her.

The tactician shook his head at that idea. When he was not busy with his duties, he was almost always reading. He remembered that one of the books he read, a suggestion from Sumia, was about a young squire who fell in love upon seeing a noblewoman for the first time. Yet, the concept of love at first sight was just something found in fiction. There was no possibility that it was happening to him now.

Robin sighed, realizing that he had just wasted several minutes having a mental debate in his head. He could not afford to be distracted now, not when he had work to take care of. With this in mind, the tactician set out quickly, needing to gather a few supplies before he could leave with the scouting party.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, life came at me with sicknesses and trips, but here's another update. A little bit short, but again, I plan on taking my time with this and not rush through. As for next week's update, I will be away on a trip for Spring Break.**

 **RenegadeReviewer/Warrior of Six Blades: Gaius had always been one of my favorite characters in Awakening, especially when he gets higher up in level. Writing this story, I knew I needed someone who helps Robin out, and given the situation, I couldn't go with Chrom. So, really, Gaius was the best option to go with from that point. With his personality and contrast with Robin, I feel like he will make an excellent supporting character to this story.**

 **Pkmn2112: I've thought that most of the Shepards are amazing characters. Even though some of them will have minor roles in this story, I do plan on at least mentioning them every once in a while as well as including them in battles.**

 **Until next time.**


	6. Flying Through the Snow

Once more, Robin found himself on a pegasus soaring through the sky once more. Back at Breakneck Pass, he was able to adjust himself to be comfortable enough while flying through the battle. He was able to hold onto Cordelia while casting spells from his tome. The tactician did not even need to think too much about how close he had been to Cordelia, focused on blasting Plegian riders out of the sky. It was his first time flying into battle, which was an experience he looked back fondly on.

Today, there was no battle to fight in, and the flight was much more awkward than the tactician liked. With nothing to distract them, he started to realize just how close he had to be to ride with a knight, his cheeks burning red at the thought. He tried to put some distance between himself and Cordelia, careful not to scoot too far back as to fall off the pegasus and down to the earth far below. The tactician stretched his arms out, placing them on her shoulders loosely rather than around her waist. He was confident that if they were attacked right now, the initial ambush would be enough to send him crashing down. He cursed Gaius' name, blaming him for the awkwardness that he was creating.

Rather than focusing on Cordelia and the nervousness of the ride they were on, Robin looked down, watching the changing land below him. The vast plains expanded out for miles with little signs of civilization asides from a few farms and traveling merchant caravans on the dirt road. They were passing above the rural region of Ylisse, which was sparse given how far north they were. Farms were more common in the south, but the closer they traveled to the Feroxi border, the more cold it was for the farmers.

As they continued to travel north, the green fields were slowly blanketed with clean, white snow. In the distance, Robin could make out the tall and grand mountains that marked the borders of Ferox several miles ahead of where they were. The tactician saw a small town with high walls, standing out clearly in the snow. Thankfully, this region would most likely be the last to be targeted by Plegia, meaning that the Shepards could find safety within those walls.

"We're here," Cordelia announced, looking over her shoulder. "Now all we have to do is fly lower and find Sir Frederick."

"Sounds like a plan," Robin nodded. "Well, you can take us down now."

"Are you sure you don't want to hold on tighter?" Cordelia asked, somewhat concerned. "It's going to be a bit of a drop. I wouldn't want you to fall off."

"I'm holding on already," Robin told her, hesitantly tightening his grip onto her shoulder. "We're not going to go too fast, right?"

"Not like this," Cordelia shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'll have Aurora take us down slowly."

Cordelia pulled on the reins of her pegasus, starting to descend down to the forest below. Even though she claimed it was going to be slow, the fall was more rapid as if they were free falling. Robin held back a yelp, his hands immediately wrapping around the pegasus knight and locking themselves together. As they neared the ground, she pulled up on the reins, the descend coming to the stop as they flew forward once more. With how close together the trees were, she had be careful with guiding her mount, now flying slower.

"You call that a slow drop?" Robin asked, take a deep breath as the adrenaline started to fade away.

"Oh, I can go by a lot faster," Cordelia told him. "If you were holding onto me like now, I could have showed you."

"Well, uh, I guess I grabbed onto you when we started falling," Robin blushed, thankful that Cordelia was too busy navigating the trees as he brought his hands back to her shoulders.

"Are you scared of heights or flying?" Cordelia suddenly asked. "You seem different than how you were yesterday."

"Wouldn't the point of me being scared of falling be me holding onto you more securely?" Robin pointed out. "I can assure you that if I was afraid of heights, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"What if you're just trying to put on a brave face?" Cordelia brought up.

"Look, I held onto you closely yesterday because if I didn't, one hit and I would end up falling into a chasm," Robin explained himself. "Out here, I don't have to worry about an attack to knock me off, and if I do accidentally fall down, your pegasus is fast enough to catch me."

"I guess, but if you fall down now, you're going to break something and I won't be able to help," Cordelia warned him. "What about flying? Is that something your nervous about?"

"Quite the opposite, actually," Robin answered. "Flying is pretty amazing once I settle on seeing what's around me. I really get to enjoy it then."

"If you're not nervous or afraid, then what's the matter?" Cordelia asked, looking back at him as they passed the final tree and entered a snowy clearing.

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain," Robin sighed, thinking of an excuse. "I guess it's because I have only started flying. I'm still trying to get use to it."

"Well, you'll get used to it eventually," Cordelia told him, smiling. "I think I have an idea for tomorrow. I'll tell you about it later. I think that campfire up ahead is where Sir Frederick is waiting for us."

Sure enough, at the campsite just ahead, marked by smoke, Sir Frederick gazed towards them dutifully. He sat down upon an old stump, sharpening his javelin while keeping his horse tethered near the fire for warmth. They grew closer to the knight with Robin picking out the grim expression that marked his face. The walled town was in sight, so the tactician could not be sure why he looked even more serious than before.  
Aurora came to a stop with Robin and Cordelia hopping off of, turning to face their comrade.

Frederick opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a loud and familiar scream coming from the forest. They all turned to face it and Robin could not help himself but smirk, already knowing what to expect. Another pegasus broke through the treeline, soaring faster towards the campsite than anyone had expected. It came down to a landing as it approached the camp, slowing down just enough to slide down next to Aurora. Sumia held onto the reins of her mount, keeping a cheerful expression and remaining oblivious to the emotions of her passenger. Gaius was holding onto her very tightly, panting as the terror he was overcome with started to fade away.

"And she makes the landing!" Sumia announced, turning back to face Gaius. "You can let go now."

"When I say we should go faster, I didn't mean for you to go so fast that we'd nearly crash on about a dozen trees," Gaius panted out, his arms sluming down onto his sides. "I saw my life flash before my eyes so many times today, Stumbles. I should only see it once per day."

"Well, I'm sorry, but at least we didn't crash," Sumia pointed out while dismounting, where she promptly fell head first into the snow.

"Sumia!" Cordelia rushed off to help Sumia from the ground.

"Well, it looks like you had fun with there, Gaius," Robin taunted.

"You're a lucky man, Bubbles," Gaius told him, hopping off the pegasus and onto his feet. "If it isn't for the you-know-what, you'd be sorry right about now."

"The you-know-what?" Sumia asked as Cordelia helped her up from the ground.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Gaius told her, casting a worried glance at Robin.

"Ahem," Frederick coughed into his arm, all heads turning to face him.

"Ah, sorry to keep you waiting, Frederick," Robin apologized. "What's wrong? We can rest at this town a stone throw away, yes?"

"I'm afraid not," Frederick grunted. "I tried to tell them that the prince was preparing to pass through, but they wouldn't budge. They are preparing to defend against the Risen. Two groups are coming this way, one from the east and one to the west."

"Well, with those walls and this weather, they may very well hold out," Robin analyzed. "How many fighters do they have?"

"They have around a dozen, but their skill is less than that of Donnel," Frederick reported. "It's not the town that I'm worried about though. A group of travelers seeking to escape from the war tried to seek entrance not too long ago, but were turned away. They made camp in the forest to the south, but I fear that once the Risen come, they will be made targets."

"That's bad news indeed," Robin nodded in acknowledgement. "And when will the Risen attack."

"From what the cowardly guards at the gate told me, by midday," Frederick answered. "To be exact, two to three hours."

"Can the rest of the Shepards get here on time to defend them?" Cordelia asked, glancing at Robin.

"Give me a moment," Robin started to calculate away in his head. "For the sake of this plan, I'll assume that Chrom is leading everyone at an above average pace. If Sumia can fly as fast as her pegasus can take her, and if Chrom leads a small forward band in a force match… it's going to be close, but they'll be able to make it in time to make a difference in the battle."

"Sounds like a plan," Sumia started to pull herself back onto her pegasus.

"Gaius, go with her," Robin ordered. "If the Risen have archers and try to attack on the way there, she'd be defenseless."

"No way, Bubbles," Gaius shook his head. "If she's going at full speed, you can't get me to go. You can go yourself if you feel that the Risen are going to attack."

"I need to stay here and get a lay of the land to come up with a battle plan," Robin reasoned. "It's a strategic move."

"You're going to need me to fly you up then," Cordelia told him, starting to climb on Aurora.

"Now that I think about it, that's a great plan you got going on," Gaius interrupted before Robin could get a word in."Me and Stumbles will go get Chrom. You two can look down on the region. Sounds great to me."

"What about me?" Frederick asked.

"Remain on guard duty, and try not to get in their way," Gaius told him, pulling himself behind Sumia. "Stumbles, please don't kill us."

"I'll try not to," Sumia smiled. "We're coming, Chrom!"

With a flick of her wrists, Sumia sent her pegasus galloping, and not too long after bursting out into the run, soared into the sky. Even with them fading away, the screams coming from Gaius were music to his ears. Hesitantly, Robin pulled himself back up onto Aurora, placing his hands on the side of Cordelia's shoulders. She brought her pegasus up to the sky slowly and had her mount fly in a circle. They were not in as much of a hurry as Gaius and Sumia, giving the tactician time to think properly about the battlefield.

A river divided the land in two with the clearing and town towards the north of it and the forest to the south. Two stone bridges had been constructed to cross over the stream and were several meters across from each other. Although Robin could not make out details within the forest, he saw smoke coming from near the river, which indicated the villager's presence. Towards the south west was a mountain with a path leading away from the town, an escape path.

Robin started to brainstorm a plan, doing his best to memorize the battlefield. Several ideas popped in his head with various differences, but they all had one thing in common. Getting the townsfolk away from danger was their top priority, and the mountain passage was the key to that. Yet, the tactician struggled on settling on the plan. There was too much to think about that he did not know such as who Chrom would bring or how much Risen there were. There was something else on the back of his mind as well, growing even more urgent. He pushed anything irrelevant to the battle away from now, even if it did not help him think clearly.

"Do you have a plan?" Cordelia asked, looking over her shoulder once more.

"Not yet," Robin shook his head. "There's just so much that I don't know like manpower for both sides. I need actual numbers-"

"Work with what you have right now," Cordelia interrupted him. "At the very least, you have me and Frederick, and you know where the Risen are coming from. Can you come up with a plan from that?"

"Of course I can," Robin answered after some hesitation. "Still, three people against an army-"

"Is the plan something that you can build off of once you know what Shepards we have available?" Cordelia continued her questioning.

"Actually, yes, that's brilliant," Robin muttered under his breath, coming to the realization. "Cordelia, you're a genius! That-"

"Don't call me that again!" Cordelia nearly lashed out, turning back. "Oh, well, I mean, if you have a plan, you should probably relay it to Sir Frederick. I'm taking us down for a landing."

Robin only nodded in response to what she said, unsure of if he should ask the immediate question in his mind. He gave her a sincere compliment and she all but yelled at him for it. Doubt started to form in his mind about their budding friendship, thoughts he pushed aside for now. They tugged at his mind but the tactician had far more important matters to attend to. The battle had to be won and that can only be done with a plan. As Aurora started to descend towards the camp, he was already thinking about how the plan would turn out depending on who Chrom brought with him.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy New Years, everyone!**

 **Now, I hope that you're all thinking "Archer, where have you been for the past year?!" but I have accepted that most of you are probably thinking "Who is this guy again?" 2017 was a rough year on me as I started to learn more about the true selves of my friends and family. With all of the developments, I ended up taking a hiatus which I never informed you, my readers, about. For that, I am deeply sorry, especially to those who have shown an expressed interest in the story I am writing.**

 **It was always my intention to get back into fanfiction writing. I was just not sure as to when. It was only after I finally managed to finish NaNoWriMo and reach the word count that I knew that I was ready. I had to overcome many different challenges over the past year, and I struggled through some of those hurdles. I would like to believe that even though I hate mostly everything that happened to me on 2017, I came out a stronger writer for it. I hope that I can stick with my weekly deadlines, a challenge that I now know is not as hard as I use to believe it was.**

 **Many of you liked and followed me, and when I saw that email, I knew that it was because of this story. I will address any reviews made from this chapter moving forward. However, I would like to take this time to thank all the loyal readers who waited for this moment. I don't think there's a lot of you, but for those of you that do fall into that category, I thank you for your patience.**

 **Until next time.**


	7. A Strangled Peace

Just as Robin predicted, a forward party of the Shepards arrived at the clearing just in time. The Risen too were coming in full force from east and west. A party of the walking dead were advancing past the walled-off town, and with another force coming from the west to flank them. Towards the southern forest, the smoke of the civilians fire started to disperse as they prepared to go on the move. Most likely, they spotted the Risen and were preparing to move in an attempt to escape. It was only a matter of minutes until the battle came to a start, during which the tactician would have to explain his plan quickly.

Naturally, Chrom led the reinforcements, with Lissa following closely behind her older brother. Sumia rode her pegasus alongside them, the magnificent beast appearing exhausted but still in fighting condition. Gaius walked in the center of the group with a confident grin while Lon'qu and Panne covered their back, remaining mostly distant from the rest of the group. Cordelia and Frederick stood by the tactician's side, their mounts by the camp. Robin grabbed a stick and walked over to a map he drew of the region on the snow while the Shepards started to gather around her, quickly finalizing his plan.

"So, what did you come up with?" Chrom asked, looking down at the makeshift map. "Sumia already told me about how receptive the town was. We're still going to protect it."

"Of course we are," Robin nodded in agreement, drawing a line on the map. "You'll be leading the charge yourself to defend the town with Frederick and I supporting you. After making sure the town is safe, we shall travel south through the bridge and cut off the Risen forces there."

"Sounds like a sound plan," Chrom complimented.

"Panne, I want you to take the bridge south of us and fight the Risen there to help the people in the forest escape," Robin continued his explanation, drawing more lines. "Lissa, for the most part, I want you to stay here. That way, you can heal both your brother's team as well as anyone coming out of the forest."

"Can do," Lissa replied with a nod.

"And what of the man in iron?" Panne pointed out.

"Man in iron?" Robin took a moment to think on it. "Kellam's here?"

"Is he?" Chrom looked around the group. "I'm not seeing him anywhere."

"I can smell him," Panne told them.

"Kellam will watch over Lissa just in case any of the Risen break through and to provide back up to a force if one is overwhelmed," Robin quickly added. "Cordelia and Sumia, you two will need to drop off Gaius and Lon'qu in the forest. Afterwards, I want you to join Panne in securing the mountain from the Risen."

"The remaining Shepards are traveling through the mountain pass in the south," Chrom revealed. "I don't think they'll make a difference in this battle, but at the very least, they can provide safety to the fleeing townsfolk."

"Gaius, Lon'qu, you two will have to escort the people to the passage," Robin ordered. "After that-"

"I will be joining Chrom's group," Lon'qu interrupted bluntly.

"Lon'qu, I know that you may be hesitant about defending people, but you and Gaius are the two best for the job," Robin argued.

"Besides, you have to follow our orders, Lon'qu," Chrom supported his tactician.

"I have no problem with defending others, but I will not fly with either one of the pegasus knights," Lon'qu shook his head. "I will be joining Chrom's group."

"You know what? We don't have time to argue this," Robin sighed. "For the sake of the plan, I'll swap places with Lon'qu. Once the people are safe with the rest of our forces, we'll clear out any of the remaining Risen. Any questions?"

"We don't have time for questions," Frederick pulled himself onto his horse. "The Risen will be upon us any moment."

"Shepards, to arms!" Chrom unsheathed Falchion, walking alongside Lon'qu in preparation for the battle.

"Good to be working with you again, Bubbles," Gaius smirked. "Dibs on riding with Sumia!"

"Are you sure?" Sumia asked while Gaius pulled himself up behind her. "When we finally stopped with the others, you said you never wanted to ride with me again."

"I changed my mind," Gaius shrugged.

"Looks like Aurora will be carrying you again, Robin," Cordelia mounted her pegasus. "We're ready when you are."

Robin nodded, walking up to Aurora and climbing onto the saddle. While he had no problems with riding with Cordelia, he just thought that he was not right for the job of protecting the townsfolk. Lon'qu was much more skilled with a blade than he was while Chrom and Frederick could cover the tactician's lack of skill. The tactician hoped that after this was all done, he would be able to get a new tome from the town they were about to help protect. For now, he would have to work with Gaius, who already proven himself to be a decent fighter. Together, they just might be enough to protect and escort the vulnerable townsfolk away.

Together, the two pegasus knights took flight, heading south. They flew low, crossing over the river and passing through several trees. They came to a stop side by side when finally catching up with the people lost in the forest. Robin took a quick analysis of what the group had to offer. There were seven in total: three men, two women, and two children. The looks of terror on their faces cleared away at the sight of the Shepards, coming to save them. Robin and Gaius dismounted from the pegasuses to hear cheers from the people.

"The Shepards are here!" one of the men cried out. "We're saved!"

"That's right," Robin nodded, approaching the group. "Follow us to the mountain passage and we'll make sure that you get out of here safely. Cordelia, Sumia, work on cutting a path for us out of here."

"On it," Cordelia replied with her and Sumia taking to the skies once more.

Robin took a quick glance at knights as they flew off, unknowing smiling to himself. A scream knocked him out of his daydream as he turned to face the group of townsfolk. Much to his surprise, a heavily armored Risen had snuck up from behind, jabbing one of the men with its spear. The man was bleeding badly but still found the strength to run, joining the rest as they proceeded to flee towards the mountain. Robin and Gaius pulled out their blades, ready to face off against their enemy.

"Hate to break it to you, but I don't think we're going to beat that," Gaius told him, frowning. "That armor looks pretty hard to break through."

"If only I had my tome with me," Robin grumbled. "We can't beat it, but we can stall it. Come on!"

"We're going to stand in front of the brute that's trying to kill us," Gaius sighed. "We're insane."

Robin raised no objections to that, rushing forward. With the dense trees slowing him down, he decided it would be best to stand guard over the townsfolk instead. The tactician placed himself in between the Risen knight and its intended target, sword raised in defiance. Gaius joined him, standing side-by-side with his comrade. The two were not the greatest warriors the Shepards had to offer, but they could work well enough together.

The Risen knight charged forward, jabbing its sharp lance forward, aiming at Gaius. Although the thief was usually quick on his feet, he was not fast enough to dodge the attack. He tried to step away but was instead jabbed in the side, bleeding. He grunted, slashing out with his own sword at it. The blade did little thanks to the knight's armor, but there were minor scratches across it.

"Well, that stings," Gaius grunted, spitting on the ground.

"It's not alone anymore," Robin pointed out, a Risen wielding a bow shambling behind the knight.

"Looks like an easy target for you," Gaius grinned. "You go and take him down. The big guy won't land another lucky blow on me again, so I'll keep him distracted.

Robin nodded and dashed forward towards the archer, Gaius following close behind. The tactician circled around the knight, thinking it was too slow to strike Gaius. While charging past it, Robin slashed his blade across its side while Gaius stabbed forward, impaling it through the chest. The armored Risen remained standing despite their offensive.

While Robin had been prepared to attack the archer, another Risen, axe in hand, broke through the tree lines. The tactician was fortunate enough to block underneath its swing, slashing his sword across its exposed gut. The archer let loose when Robin rose from the ground, which nearly took off his ear but missed. He grinned confidently until he heard the yelp of pain from behind. He looked over his shoulder briefly, seeing Gaius pulling out the arrow from his shoulder as the knight lurched ever closer. Behind the thief, he took notice of another Risen approaching.

"Gaius!" Robin called out. "We're surrounded!"

"Damn it," Gaius cursed. "I don't think I can take much more of this, Bubbles."

"Keep at it," Robin tried his best to encourage his comrade. "At least they're coming for us and not the defenseless villagers."

"Not sure if that's as good as you think it is," Gaius muttered.

Robin lashed out with his sword, striking the axe-wielding Risen across its shoulder. The unnatural warrior let out a cry of pain and tried to strike out at the tactician. He was fast enough to leap away from its attack, taking a deep breath from the physical exertion. Behind him, Gaius struck against the armored Risen, a snap coming. The thief looked on in fear, half of his blade on the snow. He evaded the incoming jab of its spear and brought what remained of his sword forward. It struck between the visor of its helm, the knight collapsing onto the ground with a thud.

Gaius grinned in pain, bleeding badly from the wounds he sustained. The remaining three Risen looked at each other, nodding in agreement despite no words being spoken. The archer moved away from Robin, who had been distracted by the axe warrior wielding shoving him aside. The archer fired an arrow at the thief while the warriors struck out. With no way to fight back, the thief skillfully evaded the two strikes by jumping away. The archer's arrow missed completely, striking a tree instead.

"They're targeting me, Bubbles!" Gaius yelled out, growing even more nervous.

"Get across the bridge!" Robin ordered. "I'll hold them off!"

Gaius nodded, bursting out into a sprint and spinning out of the way of the trees. He made a sharp turn as he broke through the forest, heading straight across the nearby bridge. Robin turned back to the three remaining Risen, cursing under his breath. He could not count on the remaining Shepards to come by and help right now. The tactician had to look out for himself.

Robin lunged forward, intending to meet the two Risen warriors in martial combat. With a quick swing of his blade, the injured warrior's head came clean off, landing in the snow. He felt a searing pain across the back of his shoulder, the archer striking true. In the moment of weakness, the remaining warrior slashed out, lightly scratching the tactician across his chest. He returned the favor with his own blade, stabbing it into his opponent's shoulder.

The Risen warrior offered no sign that it was in pain and instead stabbed his blade into his opponent's leg. Robin yelped in pain, backing away and pulling the sword free. The cuts he received were minimal, but the more he received, the more fatigued he was. The archer broke off from the fight, rushing off to the bridge while letting another arrow fly. The tactician turned to go out after it but was slashed across his back. He growled, and impaled his sword through the Risen's chest, ending it once and for all.

Robin rushed out for the archer, afraid that it was trying to hunt down and finish Gaius. He broke through the treeline, seeing it on their side of the bridge. Before he could move to attack, a horse neighed loudly from the other side. Frederick, from his steed, charged across the bridge and impaled the archer through the chest with its lance. He threw its remains into the river, which started to disperse.

"Frederick, you're a sight for sore eyes," Robin smiled weakly, lowering his sword towards the ground. "Did Gaius send you?"

"He didn't, but I saw him to safety" Frederick shook his head. "Lon'qu rushed off on his own to fight the leader of this band. With the Risen on our side taken care of, I'm his backup."

"Well, you might just be fast enough to see Lon'qu best the captain," Robin shrugged. "He's one of the best warriors the Shepard has-"

"BEHIND YOU!" Frederick shouted out at the top of his lungs.

Robin turned just in time to see a final Risen warrior, already on the attack. He raised his sword in a last second effort to fend off the sudden assault. Yet, the spear managed to completely avoid striking the sword and impaling the tactician. He let out a scream of pain, feeling the pain spread throughout his body. The Risen pulled its weapon free, sending his opponent falling to the ground, his blood staining the pure snow beneath it.

Robin coughed loudly, some of his blood drooling from his mouth. He fought to maintain consciousness while bleeding out. Although his vision started to blur, he saw Frederick leaped from his horse, crashing into the Risen warrior and ending its life with his lance. The veteran left his broken weapon behind, kneeling down beside him and pressed his hands on his biggest wound, trying to stop the blood loss. The tactician saw his lips move but could not register any words. He closed his eyes when seeing his comrade start to yell out to the side, blacking out.

* * *

 **A/N: Before moving onto the review, let me start of with a short explanation of how I run the battles of this story.**

 **I play out the missions myself on Awakening to get a better idea of numbers in my head and to get an idea on how the action happens. Whenever one of my units are knocked down to no health, I write in the story that they were injured badly and will be left out of the mission. So, every character that I mentioned being injured and needing rest in this story are units who have been defeated. Will that rule apply to Robin even though his defeat means game over? (Well, that's an obvious question.) How have the rest of the Shepards fared this battle? (Read on to find out)**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: First off, I just love how after my absence, you still came back to read and left a review. As always, I appreciate the chapter summaries you give. Speaking of, if I recall, you did mention having an idea on what town this would be. I'm curious to hear if this met your expectations or not.**

 **Until next time.**


	8. Midnight Recovery

"I think Robin's startin' to come to now."

Even though his body was sore and aching, Robin was glad for that. If anything, it meant that he survived the battle. His eyes remain closed with the tactician tired after the whole ordeal. He could feel the warmth of the blankets that covered him and the smooth comfort of the mattress beneath him. The tactician smiled lightly with joy when he came to the realization that they had managed to find better shelter than a tent and a bedroll for the night. He was tempted to fall back to sleep but there were too many questions left unanswered for him to keep resting.

Robin opened his eyes, finding himself in a dark room with wooden floors and walls. The only light in the room were the candles lit on the stand next to his bed and the light of the full moon coming in from the window that stood between his bed and another bed. Casting a glance over to the other bed, the tactician was surprised to see Lon'qu, similarly covered in blankets with his eyes closed. He recalled briefly that the warrior had rushed off ahead to fight the Risen's leader, but never suspected that the fight would prove to be too much for him.

Finally, Robin turned to face Donnel, who watched him expectantly but otherwise remained silent. He was sitting down on a wooden chair with another one placed right next to it. If he had to take a guess, Kellam was here too, likely waiting on their patient to wake up. Slowly, the tactician sat up, groaning in pain as he did so, but waved Donnel aside when he tried to stop him.

"Where's Chrom?" Robin asked through gritted teeth.

"He's sleepin'," Donnel answered. "It's the wee hours of night. Everyone's sleepin'. But he was waitin' for ya to wake up for hours. When Frederick pulled him and Lissa away, he ordered me and Kellam to wait for ya to get up."

"Thanks for that," Robin leaned up against the wall. "Kellam, it's good to see you weren't injured during that battle."

"Actually, I'm thinkin' that he gone took off," Donnel looked at the empty seat. "I said my throat was gettin' parched, so he left to get drinks. Haven't seen him since."

"That's Kellam for you," Robin grinned. "Could you give me an update on what I missed while I was out?"

"Sure can do!" Donnel smiled. "Turns out that the one fellah that got ya was the leader. Took care of both ya and Lon'qu over there before finally Frederick finally landed a killin' blow."

"Had my sword remained intact during the battle, it would have fallen to my blade," Lon'qu told them from across the room, eyes still closed.

"I'm guessing that after all the battles we fought in, our weapons may not be too reliable anymore," Robin commented.

"Chrom had that exact same thought, which is why the Shepherds are gettin' new gear here in town," Donnel told him. "I'm gettin' a new and shiny lance tomorrow!"

"Good to hear," Robin smiled. "So, I can already guess that Chrom managed to talk his way into letting the town accept us. What about the people outside of the walls when the Risen attacked?"

"They're all safe thanks to our fliers," Donnel revealed. "Sumia and Cordelia make for a great team. Chrom demanded that they stay here for as long as they want to. Bad thing is that we're only stayin' for two days for you two to recover."

"That'll be enough," Lon'qu told them.

"I don't imagine Chrom's too happy about the delay though," Robin sighed. "Can't say I blame him with Gangrel invading Ylisse as we speak."

"He was steamin' mad, but I'm thinkin' once he sees you up and walkin' here soon, he'll be fine," Donnel yawned. "Well, I'm startin' to get tuckered out."

"Get some sleep then," Robin ordered, taking a glance at the night stand to see a cup of tea that was not there before. "The both of you. If Chrom gives you any trouble, tell him it was my idea."

"Sure thing, partner," Donnel yawned again, standing up. "See ya when the sun comes out in just a few hours. Everyone will be wantin' to see ya then. Oh, and I almost forgot. Some of us put together a get well soon package. Right underneath the bed. Hope ya like it."

With that, Donnel walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. However, the door opened once more and closed, although no one saw if anyone entered or left it. Robin reached for the cup placed on the nightstand, taking a sip from the sweet brewed tea. He sat the cup down and looked down at the floor, seeing a basket had been prepared and was partially underneath his bed. Carefully, he picked it up from the ground, setting it down on his lap.

Robin smiled when he saw that most of the contents were books. Stacked on top of each other and wrapped together. He recognized the title to be the first book in a popular fiction trilogy. Although he normally was not too big on fictional book series, he figured that he needed something to read while he was on bedrest. He pulled the first book free and flipped it open. Written on the back of the cover page was a note from Sumia, wishing that he would get well soon.

There were two other books that stood alone in the basket. One was incredibly heavy with an incredibly long title that Robin never heard of. Flipping the cover open, he saw that the first page had been written in a long note that expanded from the top of the page to the bottom. The tactician immediately looked at the bottom, seeing Miriel's signature. He closed the book and returned it into the basket. As much as he wanted to read whatever the mage had written for him, he knew that he was going to need a dictionary to translate it.

The final book was one that Robin was familiar with. There were no words that give it a title, only a lightning bolt etched on top of it. He grinned, flipping it open to see the familiar spellwork written on it. After the close encounter with the Risen, the tactician was more than happy enough going back to casting spells. He flipped to the front of the book,seeing no message but a signature from Cordelia. His cheeks burned red while he closed the book, putting it aside.

Finally, there was a somewhat heavy sack at the bottom of the basket, no note on it at all. Taking a peek inside, Robin was surprised to see a large amount of wrapped candies, ranging from chocolate to lollipops. The tactician's stomach grumbled loudly when he gazed upon the food and decided a quick snack would not hurt. After a minute of eating the dark chocolate, he made a mental note to thank Gaius for the candy when he had the chance to.

"Do you want a piece?" Robin asked, glancing over to Lon'qu with a piece of chocolate in hand.

"No," Lon'qu bluntly answered.

"Suit yourself," Robin shrugged, throwing the candy into his mouth and chewing it. "So, did anyone get you anything? You're in as bad of shape as I am."

"Chrom gave me a new assignment," Lon'qu scowled. "I am to become his little sister's bodyguard, effective immediately once I am in suitable condition."

"That's not a bad idea, actually," Robin started to think on it. "Normally, Lissa hates it when people have to protect her in battle, but I think she will take an exception to you."

"She will slow me down in battle," Lon'qu argued.

"Truth be told, I think it will teach you a lesson," Robin told him sternly. "Frederick told me that you rushed off by yourself to confront the leader. Had you waited for him or Chrom to give you back up, we wouldn't be in this room having this talk. The Shepherds need to work together as a team if we're going to succeed in the coming war."

"I understand," Lon'qu sighed out, accepting his fate. "Still, I intend to not hold back on Chrom when we spar next."

"At least wait until you're in Ferox to give yourself time to recover," Robin suggested. "If you want, we could spar together until then."

"You still wish to spar with me?" Lon'qu opened one eye at the tactician in shock. "You wouldn't last long given your state."

"I figured as much, but today, I managed to fight several Risen warriors," Robin revealed. "Your training is helping me."

"But you have much to improve on," Lon'qu sighed. "You let your guard down during a middle of a battle."

"I know, and I hope to never have that happen again," Robin replied.

"Then we shall train when we can stand," Lon'qu told him, closing his eye. "I'm going to sleep."

"Shouldn't we wait a day or two after we stand to give us more time to recover?" Robin questioned, somewhat nervously.

Robin was greeted by silence, Lon'qu drifting away into sleep. He yawned loudly, exhausted as well, but not ready to fall asleep just yet. Instead, he grabbed the first book from the trilogy and started to read. The tactician knew that when the Shepherds moved out and marched away from the town, he would have little time to read. As such, he intended to finish the four books he had to read while he was confined to the bed. With only two days before they departed, he was going to take a little bit of a head start, remembering that tomorrow, the Shepherds would come to check in on him.

* * *

 **A/N: A little bit of a short chapter this week, and honestly, that's not a bad thing. The goal for this chapter was to give a recap on the battle and give a general idea of what's coming next.**

 **Plus, I feel like this was a good chapter to catch up with the other Shepherds. While I am writing this story with the pairing of Robin and Cordelia in mind, I'd like to keep the other Shepherds in mind, whether it's from a single mention to a brief conversation. Part of me feels that I may need to think about the other pairings in the future (Asides from the obvious one, I already settled on the pairings for Chrom and Gaius). Not sure when or how I will decide on that, but I'm writing it down so I won't forget.**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: Having Cordelia save Robin was something I considered doing, but ultimately, but as I played the game and wrote out the chapter, I ended up making the decision to have Frederick step in. Again, sometimes I just need to give another one of the Shepherds their time to shine. Still, with the Shepherds at war with Plegia, I'd be willing to wager that at least one side of the pairing will save the other one battle. Also, I apologize if this chapter was a let down for you since you mentioned looking forward to this, and I wish you the best of luck with your Hard Mode play through (One of these days, I need to step away from Normal).**

 **Until next time.**


	9. Robin's Predicament

When Robin woke up in the morning, the pain had faded considerably but his body was still sore. The candles had gone out overnight, leaving the morning sun to illuminate the room alone. The tactician was content for a day of rest, needing it after the beatings he took over the past few days. He took up the one of the books Sumia brought and got back to reading, having finished about half of the book before sleeping last night.

Lon'qu was up before Robin, sitting in his bed with his legs crossed. He took a quick glance at the fighter, seeing the mixed emotions on his face. The tactician could only wonder about what thoughts were going through his head. The warrior was likely annoyed by being confined to a bed while he recovered. Yet, by resting, he delayed the eventuality of becoming bodyguard to Lissa. Maybe he could get up and start moving around. The real question was if he really wanted to.

Stahl, fully recovered after the battle at Breakneck Pass, was the first Shepherd to visit the two, carrying two trays of porridge. While they ate, the knight explained that as of now, they were the only two Shepherds still on bedrest. Robin smiled at the news in between bites. Unless anything else happened on their way to Ferox, the Shepherds would arrive battered but in full force. It was a feat that did not come easy but they were fortunate enough to not suffer any major casualties fleeing from the invading forces of Plegia.

After Stahl left, Donnel came to visit, somewhat exhausted by staying up late in the night. He mainly talked to Robin, pitching the idea that the farm boy buys bilberry bushes to plant in pots for the journey. The tactician was hesitant on the idea, unsure of if the plants would survive in the frigid kingdom of Ferox. Yet, seeing the youth's determination and the claim that he was paying for it all himself, he saw no reason to stop him, and even encouraged him by saying that they could serve the berries when they bloomed.

Sometime passed with no visitors, Robin realizing that the Shepherds are likely beginning their training session. A few hours passed before the next round of visitors arrived. Robin smiled and sat up on his bed when he recognized Chrom stepping through the door, followed behind by Frederick. The prince took a seat on one of the chairs with the knight standing at attention right behind him. The tactician was elated with joy upon seeing his best friend coming to visit and closed the book he was reading, putting it on the nightstand.

"Good to see that you are trying to be active," Chrom smiled at his friend. "Everyone was worried for you after the battle."

"They have nothing to worry about," Robin assured him. "What are the rest up of the Shepherds up to?"

"Rest and recreation, mostly," Chrom answered. "I'm giving everyone the time to rest until you and Lon'qu are ready to leave. It'll be another day's march to reach the Longfort, and after we reach Ferox and meet with the Khans, we'll be back to fighting once more."

"It's good they get to have some peace for now," Robin nodded, agreeing with Chrom. "After all they've been through, they deserve a break, even if it is a small one like this."

"I hate that for the most part, you'll be stuck in this inn for that break," Chrom told him.

"Well, with all these books, I'll be fine until I can walk without my body being in pain," Robin replied, motioning to the stack of books. "I'm more than content enough with."

"Gaius told me during our morning spar that the two of you had plans and that your injuries meant that they changed," Chrom revealed. "I'm surprised that you two are friends."

"I'm friends with most of the Shepherds though," Robin pointed out.

"Yes, but for the past two battles, you fought alongside him," Chrom reminded the tactician.

"M'lord, he also fought with Cordelia recently and rode with her for a scouting mission, yet you don't mention their possible friendship," Frederick joined in.

"I didn't dwell too much on that," Chrom shrugged. "Still, it's good to see that you're open to the new members of the Shepherds, but try not forget about us. I think it would be grand to fight by your side once more."

"If it is best for us in a strategic sense, I shall make it happen," Robin nodded. "The reason I've fought with Cordelia and Gaius for the past few days were because it was best to do so."

"Of course," Chrom stood up from his chair. "I should get going. Vaike challenged me to another round of sparring and he's not going to wait for too much longer."

"Try not to break anything this time," the two chuckled at Robin's joke. "Before you leave, do either of you know about what happened to my robes? I woke up without them and it's been on the back of my mind ever since. I just wasn't sure who to ask."

"I think Lissa has them," Chrom told him, taking a moment to think.

"That she does," Frederick confirmed. "I believe she was going to try to sew it together. It's pretty damaged up."

"I see," Robin frowned, remembering the stories he heard of Lissa's tailoring skill. "Oh, and before I forget, I just wanted to thank you for saving my life yesterday, Frederick. If it wasn't for your intervention, that Risen would have struck me down."

"Think nothing of it," Frederick replied dutifully while following Chrom out of the room. "You have proven your worth to the Shepherds. It was just following my duty, that's all."

Chrom and Frederick left, but before the door closed, a hand grabbed onto it and pushed it open. Gaius stepped into the room, placing his hands in his pockets and kicked the door closed as he walked past it. Robin could not help himself but sigh upon seeing his friend, already having so many questions for him. The thief sat down and the tactician immediately took notice of something different about him. They sat in silence while he tried to think of what was new about him. Finally, the answer came to him as a surprise.

"You cleaned your clothes," Robin commented, somewhat shocked. "I don't see a single piece of candy stuck to it."

"Thanks for noticing, but I can't say I'm not too big of a fan," Gaius grinned despite what he said. "Cordelia all but ordered me to clean up when we talked yesterday after the battle."

"You talked with Cordelia?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ayep," Gaius nodded in confirmation. "Let me warn you right now that she's a perfectionist not just for herself, but for everyone. So, if you two do end up together-"

"Gaius, hold on a moment," Robin interrupted him. "You do realize that we're not alone in here, right?"

"You're right," Gaius looked towards Lon'qu. "Hey Q. Bubbles is in love with Cordelia."

"Gaius!" Robin screeched loudly.

"And this concerns me how?" Lon'qu glanced briefly towards them.

"We want you to tell her how Bubbles really feels about her," Gaius continued while Robin bit his tongue.

"No," Lon'qu turned away.

"There, not a problem," Gaius winked. "If anything, it revealed more about what's going on inside your head."

"I just think that love is a bit of an overstatement," Robin looked up towards the roof.

"Oh, so you do admit that at the very least, you have romantic feelings for her," Gaius leaned forward.

"Well, maybe," Robin drew out his answer before sighing. "Fine. I suppose I do have a crush on her."

"The first step to winning the girl of your dreams is admitting that you have feelings for her," Gaius told him, leaning back on his seat. "We're on the right path already! Step two is-"

"I like that you're trying to help me, but now isn't a good time," Robin sighed, shaking his head. "If you really want to help me, I need your help to get over her."

"Trust me, Bubbles, but once she gets over Chrom not liking her back, she'll realize what a great guy you are," Gaius assured him. "There's nothing wrong about acting on your feelings."

"That's where your wrong, Gaius," Robin argued. "I'm a tactician. It's my job to come up with plans that could risk the lives of any one of the Shepherds. If I am distracted even in the slightest, the plan is flawed and someone could die. I have to use my mind to think logically so that we can all live to see the next day. The longer I have this crush, the more distracted I am. Don't you see my point on this?"

"I do, and I think that in the end, if you do wish to pursue Cordelia as being more than a friend, it will actually help you think rather than distract you," Gaius shrugged and stood back up. "Fighting for a cause is alright, but fighting for that special someone is what really drives a man. Come find me when you are ready for step two. I need to find Princess before she ruins those fancy robes of yours."

"How long were you waiting by the door?" Robin asked.

"Blue beat me here by just a hair," Gaius revealed. "Even if we won't fight together again, we'll be talking again soon enough."

With that, Gaius made his way out of the room, the door closing shut behind him. Lon'qu let out a sigh of relief, getting up from the bed and limping towards the door, locking it before painfully returning to his bed. As he passed by, Robin swore he heard the fighter muttered under his breath. The tactician was too focused on his thoughts to hear clearly what he said and knew that he would not want to talk about it.

Much to his surprise, Robin was actually relieved that he finally confessed that he held some feelings for Cordelia, even if it was to someone who already knew and someone who did not care. It was a burden on the back of his mind that he realized he needed to get off his chest for quite some time. For a moment afterwards, he could think clearly. Unfortunately for him, there were no battles to plan and the clarity faded away soon afterwards. The tactician grabbed the book on the nightstand and started to read. At least for now, talking about his feelings were enough to get him back to thinking properly.

* * *

 **A/N: Back when I first started writing, I brought up the idea of one day revising this story for the errors I made. Although I hoped to do that after I finished, one of my readers, csihawk, has kindly pointed out that I've been spelling "Shepherds" as "Shepards." This is present in most chapters and is a change I intend to make as this week progresses. I extend my public thanks to csihawk for pointing this out to me, as I thought I had the original correct spelling.**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: Just like you brought up, Lon'qu does indeed need to learn to work with others when fighting tougher enemies. The Shepherds are a team, and although he is a skilled warrior on his own, there are some fights he can't win alone. If anyone can break his lone wolf attitude, it'd be Lissa.**

 **Wingzerojrod: Thank you for the praise. To this day, I'm still amazed at how supportive this community is. I've written for other games and such, but this story is the one I look forward to writing because I know that there are people who care about reading it.**

 **Until next time.**


	10. Ominous Nightmares

_This is not-_

 _Struggle all you want!_

 _Promise me you will escape-_

 _You cannot unwrite what is already written!_

 _You're one of us, Robin-_

Robin immediately shot awake, already seated in his the nightmare. His body was drenched in his own sweat, which led to his tunic sticking to his chest. It was the first time that he had a recurring nightmare since the attempt on Emmeryn's life. He only saw darkness and murderous thoughts were forced upon his mind by something unknown to him. Tonight, it was different. It was the first time he had heard voices in the nightmare. The voices were familiar to him but he could not put a face to them as their words cut out. He could not even tell how many speakers there were, but it was an ill omen.

Suddenly, an unbearable pain seared through the wound of the Risen captain inflicted on him. Robin pulled his tunic up slightly, taking a peek at it while gritting his teeth. Based on what he could tell with his limited medical knowledge, an infection was starting to settle in. It needed to be tended to immediately if he was going to go back to sleep safely. Unfortunately, it was the dead of night, and he had no clue on where Lissa or Maribelle were.

Slowly, Robin got up from the bed, approaching the window. He clutched his throbbing chest and stared out the window, hoping to find some sign of where the Shepherds were. The tactician saw smoke rising from outside the walls, but it was too far away. He glanced downwards and forced out a sigh of relief. Down below were the caravan wagons that transported their supplies, including healing salves. He thought it would be best not to travel far to wake his comrades up if the solution to his problem laid outside the inn.

Robin limped over towards the door, opening it slowly so Lon'qu, seemingly asleep, did not wake up. He left the door open and nearly stumbled down the set of stairs, fortunate enough to grab onto railing at the last step. The inn lobby was crowded with tables, the chairs stacked up on top, but was void of any living soul. The tactician made his way to the front door, grabbing onto one the chairs when he felt himself falling. He maintained his balance, but when he grabbed onto the door knob, he heard a thud of the chair falling to the ground. He cursed as he left the inn, hoping that it did not wake anyone up.

The wagons, three in total, were parked outside the inn, the horses taken into the stables for rest. Robin climbed into the back of the closest one, popping open the crates to find the salve. Unfortunately, most of what he saw were weapons and armors stacked into the crates. When he finally opened up the final crate, he sighed in disappointment, the pain surging. The tactician was unsure if he could push himself to search the remaining two wagons. The bitter cold of the night air and the searing pain of his wound were not a great pairing. He pulled himself up onto the edge of the cart where he sat down and look at the remaining two carts.

Suddenly, someone emerged from the back of the second wagon in front of him. Much to his immediate surprise, it was Cordelia, who held two javelins in her hand as if she was trying to compare it. She was faced to the side, returning the javelin to the ground, and turned around to see the tactician coiling up in pain. Her face showed worry for the fate of her friend as she holstered the other javelin, hopping out of the wagon and taking two steps toward him.

"Salve," Robin called out to her. "I need a salve."

"It's up at the front cart," Cordelia told him. "I'll get it. Just hang on for a moment."

Immediately, Cordelia pivoted around and ran towards the first cart, running as fast as her legs could take her. It may have been the intensifying pain affecting his judgement, but Robin could have swore that without her pegasus, she was not very fast at all. Still, she made up for some time by knowing exactly which crate the salve was in. The pegasus knight grabbed a container of it and rushed back to the tactician, offering it to him.

Robin quickly snatched it from her hands, popping the lid open and sticking his hand into it. With his hand now covered in salve, he pulled it out and stuck it underneath his shirt, rubbing it across the agonizing wound. It took about a minute or two, but relief started to come in. He sighed out in relief, setting the jar of salve on top of one of the weapon crates. Cordelia pulled herself onto the edge of the wagon, sitting next to the tactician and looking at him expectantly.

"After waking up from a nightmare, I realized how much pain my wound was and found out it was infected," Robin explained to her, taking deep breaths. "I was hoping to get some salve without waking anyone up, but with the way the supplies were organized, I was lost. I'd probably ended up collapsing in the snow if you weren't here."

"I just like to stay on top of things," Cordelia told him. "I came out here to compare the differences with the old javelins with the new ones we were supplied with. It's a good thing I remember where everything iss."

"You can keep track of all of our equipment in your head?" Robin asked, somewhat amazed.

"Of course," Cordelia answered. "I know that's one of your responsibilities, but with you out of action and us getting new supplies, someone had to keep our inventory updated."

"Even I can't keep track of the inventory in my head," Robin muttered under his breath. "You really are a genius."

"Do not call me that!" Cordelia exclaimed with a raised voice.

"I'm sorry," Robin quickly apologized. "I meant no offense."

Robin recalled that Cordelia had a similar reaction to the compliment the day before, right before they fought the Risen. He was unsure as to why she had such a negative response to the word genius. When the Shepherds complement their tactician as a genius, he accepted it graciously. However, when he tried to give it to the pegasus knight, she pushed it away. He was unsure as to why she did want her comrades to consider her as a genius.

"Of course you didn't," Cordelia sighed out. "Please forgive me. It's just that my superiors called me that the moment I joined the knights. It was very hard sometimes."

"It couldn't have been too bad," Robin thought out loud.

"Little Miss Genius," Cordelia said, her voice higher while presumably mimicking the voice of one of the knights that taunted her. "They called me that all the time."

"Oh," Robin sighed out, disappointed in himself for his assumption.

"They teased and taunted me," Cordelia continued. "They mocked me, too. They mocked my appearance and my javelin technique."

"I had no idea that members of the pegasus knights could be so spiteful," Robin commented, slowly placing a hand on Cordelia's shoulder to comfort her. "I assure you, when I called you a genius, I only meant it as a compliment."

"I know," Cordelia nodded. "I'm just overly sensitive, that's all."

"If you ever need to talk, let me know," Robin offered her.

"Well, since you offered," Cordelia pulled out her javelin and held it out to Robin, who was surprised by her reaction. "What do you think of the new javelins? I'm not sure about the balance myself."

"I meant if you ever needed to talk about, well, never mind," Robin yawned out. "It's late and I'm even more tired now. I promise to take a closer look at the javelins in the morning."

"Of course," Cordelia told him. "I'll make sure everything is set with the caravans and return to the Shepherds. Good night, Robin."

"Night, Cordelia," Robin replied.

Robin hopped off the caravan and walked back inside of the inn. The pain had been relieved but he would be sure to check with Lissa and Maribelle to see if the infection was still there. Before walking upstairs, the tactician sat the fallen chair back up on the table. Thankfully, no one had been woken up, meaning that in the morning, no one would realize what had happened.

After his conversation with Cordelia, Robin was relieved. He thought that she was trying to push him away when he told her she was a genius, but the truth was that it brought back bad memories. He was still finding it hard to believe that the pegasus knights mocked her. To the tactician, she was an amazing warrior and equally beautiful. With how exhausted he was, he could not push that thought aside, and drifted into a sleep upon his bed with her in mind.

* * *

 **A/N: Ten chapters after their first meeting, we finally reach the C-Support for Robin and Cordelia (slightly revised to fit the story). Yes, I am also leading up to a future installment. Whether I write it or not, I'm not too sure. I figured it would be best to leave hints just in case I do decide to go that route.**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: I figured it was time to give Chrom some love in this story. For the most part, I've mainly been playing up the bromance between Robin and Gaius, which makes sense for the given scenario. I did list Chrom as one of the four main characters for this story, and it's not just because he's a main character of Awakening in general.**

 **Guest: You know, even before I googled what the einherjars are, I was pretty sure I wouldn't use them. Not for dislike or anything like that, but simply because I don't know enough about them. I appreciate the idea.**

 **Until next time.**


	11. Ylisstol Has Fallen

When the sun rose and the Shepherds gathered, they continued their march north. Robin pressed on with the group even though there was a slight pain from his healing injuries. He had no desire to hold up his comrades any longer because of his pain and continued on without a complaint. After a whole day's rest, the tactician knew that they needed to get to Ferox. Once there, he could focus his efforts on planning the upcoming battles against Plegia. After Gangrel's offensive, they needed to put him and his forces on the defense to stop his attack on Ylisse.

A few hours after midday, the Shepherds finally made it to Longfort, where they were greeted by Feroxi warriors. It had not been too long since they bested these same warriors in battle, but they held no ill will. Some of the warriors even offered to ride ahead to inform the khans or escort the Shepherds to their destination. Eventually, they settled on only one warrior being sent to act as messenger and leave the rest behind in case Plegia comes after them. After a short rest and meal, Chrom declared it was time to move out, and they continued to take the road to the khans.

It was now evening and the Shepherds were gathered outside of the hold where they first met Flavia and agreed to aid her. The khans were not there as of now, having been at the arena several miles out when they arrived at the Longfort. A messenger was sent ahead of time to the keep, telling them that Flavia and Basilio would arrive before the day was over. The Shepherds set up camp outside the keep for rest, with a few deciding to take this time to train and take their mind off the war briefly.

After the last battle, Robin was more determined to train harder with his sword, never wanting to fall like that again. Once more, Lon'qu served as his training partner. Although he put on a straight face, his strength in a simple sparring session showed his frustration with his new post. Lissa was sitting by a bench near the training circles, allowing for her new bodyguard to train. Gaius sat next to her, sewing away with Robin's robe. The tactician was unsure of how great of a seamstress the thief was, but he looked forward to getting his signature clothing back. It, along with the exercise, would provide him warmth from the biting cold of the snowy region of Ferox.

A good distance away from the rest of the Shepherds, Chrom and Vaike sparred against each other, their match proving to be destructive. Although it was great that Vaike, along with the rest of the injured Shepherds, were in good shape, Robin was worried about how intense their match was. Although the khans valued strength, they may not like any holes in their keep. With Lon'qu battering down on his defenses, the tactician had to set his priorities on the most important matter at hand. If Chrom and Vaike broke something, they would have to take responsibility for their actions.

Lon'qu brought his wooden sword down towards Robin only for it to be blocked by another practice blade. They both swung out to attack each other towards their opponent's chest, which was naturally countered by each other. The tactician tried to charge forward, lashing out with his weapon. The warrior he faced took advantage of his recklessness, moving to the side and bringing his practice blade right at his exposed legs. Robin let out a yelp of pain as he crashed into the white snow ground, shivering from how cold it was. He rolled onto his back, arms brought together as he tried to keep himself warm.

"Great job, Lon'qu!" Lissa cheered enthusiastically. "Keep at it, Robin!"

"I would just like to remind you that I had no part in assigning you to your current duty," Robin said through chattering teeth.

"Again," Lon'qu grunted.

"No mercy, I suppose," Robin sighed.

Slowly, Robin raised back onto his feet, stretching and jumping up to get himself warmed up. He had hoped that Lon'qu would still be recovering somewhat from his sustained injuries, but he fought just as hard as before. The tactician was not sure how he was able to do it. As for him, with how sore and cold he was, he was lucky enough to trade a few blows with the more experienced warrior. Once he was prepared, he held his practice sword out, ready to receive another beating.

At once, they both ran towards each other, swinging their blades out. The dull wood thudded against one another with the two yet again trying to press for an advantage. After sparring for so long, Robin was starting to get a read on how Lon'qu fought. His fighting style focused heavily on offense, meant to take down an opponent swiftly or wear them out while they defended themselves. The tactician adapted to this, and instead of only protecting himself, he swung his blade out to strike in his opponent's path. They were about even now with this fighting technique, but he grew more tired while the experienced warrior held on.

Robin tried his best to think of how to gain ground on this fight, but it was challenging. He had to think about where to swing his blade before Lon'qu struck. If he stopped thinking for a moment, he would go down. Occasionally, he would try a new tactic to see how the experienced warrior reacted, but almost always it would end in his defeat. Finally, after blocking one final blow from Lon'qu, the tactician's knees buckled as one final strike knocked his blade free from his hands. Instinctively, the warrior pointed the wooden sword at his opponent's throat, the victor of the battle.

"You're learning," Lon'qu commented, lowering his blade.

"Well, thanks," Robin breathed out in relief. "It's just so hard to think about a new attack when I have to constantly defend myself."

"With enough practice, you will be able to act without thinking," Lon'qu told him. "Then, you might stand a chance of winning against me."

"I think that's the closest I've ever gotten of praise from you," Robin smiled.

"Don't expect more unless you can impress me again," Lon'qu bluntly stated.

"Bubbles, your robes are done," Gaius announced. "Just in time too. I saw the khans entering the keep awhile ago."

"And you didn't tell me?" Robin asked, somewhat shocked. "I hope we haven't kept them waiting."

"I didn't want to interrupt you two," Gaius shrugged.

"And I was too busy watching to notice," Lissa joined in. "I can get Chrom real quick. You go on ahead, Robin. Let's go, Lon'qu!"

Lissa skipped away, unknowing of the scowl on Lon'qu's face. With a nod from his superior, the veteran warrior followed the princess, keeping his distance from her. Gaius ran up to Robin, robes in hand, and handed them off to his friend. The tactician slipped them on, tugging at the edges for warmth. It had been too long since he had worn it and missed its comfort. He made his way towards the keep, leaving the thief behind for whatever he had in mind.

After a few minute, Robin found himself in the waiting room just outside the great hall. All he needed now was Chrom and Lissa to come by for them to the meet the khans. While waiting, he adjusted his robes, still amazed by Gaius' sewing job. It did not take too long for the royals to come by, followed closely enough by their acting bodyguards, Frederick and Lon'qu. The tactician took notice of his best friend rubbing his head, slightly bruised. He sighed, having hoped that training would not be too dangerous for his friend.

"I guess Vaike finally won?" Robin asked, motioning to the bruise.

"Not quite," Chrom groaned.

"You should have seen it, Robin," Lissa giggled. "He was in a daze earlier, so Sumia tried to slap him back to reality, but punched him!"

"I really wished I did see that," Robin snickered.

The doors leading to the great hall opened, revealing a grand and dark room with stone floors and wooden tables. Guards were in formation to the side while Flavia and Basilio stood in the center of the hall, eyeing the group. Robin walked alongside Chrom and Lissa, with Lon'qu and Frederick following close behind. They stopped in front of the khans, nodding in respect to them.

"We have good news and bad news," Flavia started. "The good news is that the Feroxi army is mobilized and itching for a fight. We'll be taking the fight to Plegia soon enough."

"That's great to hear," Chrom smiled lightly.

"And the bad news?" Robin asked grimly.

"Our scouts have reported that Ylisstol has fallen," Basilio revealed with a frown. "They captured Emmeryn and retreated. Gangrel announced that she is to be executed."

"Executed?" Chrom repeated.

Lissa gasped followed by her eyes closing. She fell backwards with Lon'qu quickly taking a step back. Fortunately, Frederick stepped in and was able to catch her before she struck the stone floor. Robin glanced towards them to see the knight trying to shake her awake to no avail. Damn Gangrel and his war. The tactician would see that the Mad King paid for his transgressions against Ylisse and the royal family.

"He's not even trying to be subtle anymore," Flavia sighed.

"It's an obvious trap," Robin agreed. "He knew that our scouts would relay this information back to us. He's mad, but he's clever."

"A hot brand to the buttocks!" Basilio grinned. "We should consider our options carefully before jumping to any-"

"We march to Plegia!" Chrom declared, interrupting Basilio.

"Chrom, we really should think our options through," Robin advised his friend.

"Haven't we seen enough royalty waltzing into traps for one war, eh?" Basilio added.

"I don't care it's a trap!" Chrom argued, unable to contain his anger. "He's going to murder my sister."

"Breath a moment, Chrom," Flavia suggested calmly. "No one's suggesting we don't act. We just need to act wisely. We'll need guts and wits in equal measure if we're to save your sister."

"I'll come up with a plan," Robin volunteered. "I promise."

"All right, Robin," Chrom sighed, starting to calm down. "I'll leave it to you then."

"Are you certain you're up to the task?" Flavia asked with a glance towards Robin. "It won't be easy. You hold the exalt's life in one hand, and all of ours in the other."

Robin resisted the urge to gulp out of nervousness, knowing exactly what was at stake. If they were going to free Emmeryn, they would need to march to Plegia before her execution. He organized many battles that were successful without loss of any life for his side. Could this be the battle that finally ruined that reputation? Would any of the Shepherds fall to see their exalt saved? Or would he be too cautious with the Shepherd's safety and be too late to save Emmeryn? He had his doubts, but if he faltered, they were already going to fail. He needed to show everyone that he was confident. He needed to ensure that both the Shepherds and Emmeryn survive.

"A responsibility I do not take lightly," Robin admitted. "But I am equal to the challenge."

"Ha! You've got stones, at least." Flavia chuckled. "I like that!"

"No hesitation, no mincing words," Basilio muttered, his voice starting to rise. "Either you're a genius or a fool! I suppose we'll find out once we march. Hold on to your tassets, Ylisseans. We've an exalt to save!"

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay. I feel sick for a few days after attending a Superbowl party with some friends. Thankfully, I was able to get this written up. Simple enough chapter. I decided it was time to start moving on with the game's plot. And technically, since this conversation happens at the end of Mission 7, it took me ten chapters to write about a single mission. I think I broke a record. (Please let me live with this and don't tell me otherwise).**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: Thanks for the compliment. In-game, it's implied that Robin has this dream multiple times. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it just yet, but better to leave a future plot hook in than to force something, I say.**

 **Wingzerojrod: I do plan on continuing this, don't you worry. I'll admit, during my hiatus, my original inspiration for this story went away, but seeing how supportive everyone was, I found new inspiration. But that's a story I plan on going more in depth about once this reaches its conclusion.**

 **Until next time.**


	12. Rest and Recreation

Although the Khans offered the Shepherds a place to stay to rest at the fort, Chrom was insistent on getting a head start to save his sister. The band of warriors departed, their leader carrying with them a document signed by Flavia. It was a writ to be handed to any innkeeper, who would then grant the weary Shepherds lodging, food, and drink for the night, free of charge. Afterwards, they would continue onto Plegia to begin their mission to save the Exalt.

They traveled through the frigid cold of Ferox, exhausted but willing to continue on for their righteous mission. When they finally saw a small lodge marked with a sign appear over the hill, there was much rejoice. When they arrived, the innkeeper was somewhat disappointed that he was not getting paid, but with no other customers, accepted them anyways. Even though they were exhausted from the journey, many of the Shepherds reached a single conclusion: they had an inn, all to themselves, with drinks on the house.

After the battles they survived, they deserved a break.

Robin found himself seated at one of the larger, circular tables, sipping casually from a glass of water while writing notes in his journal for the upcoming battle. His table was the most crowded of the lot, with Chrom, Sully, Vaike, and Frederick with him. Chrom was drinking slowly from his second mug of beer while watching Sully and Vaike's drinking contest. It was clear to see that the knight held the advantage over the warrior, but he refused to give up. Frederick remained standing by the table, not partaking in any drinking while watching over the entire room.

A few tables over, Lissa, Maribelle, and much to Robin's surprise, Virion, were seated at their own table, chatting with each other. Lon'qu was seated a table next to them, his back towards the princess he was to protect. It was strange to see that the fighter was still distant and cold from everyone despite the atmosphere in the inn. Even Lissa, who was devastated by the news of her sister's capture, was soon cheered up by her dear friends and companions.

Stahl, Donnel, and Kellam were absent from the tavern, going about with their plan to grow plants for their journey by planting seeds in potted plants. Panne was away hunting for her own dinner while Ricken and Maribelle retired to their separate rooms for the night. Then, at the corner of the room, was Gaius, along with Cordelia and Sumia. Robin was still not sure what to think of his friend interacting with the two pegasus knights. Given their past exchanges, it was clear to the tactician that the thief had some plan in mind.

However, from the looks of it, Gaius was more interested in chatting with Sumia than Cordelia. The two were smiling when they talked, and the thief was even offering some of his stash of candy to her. Cordelia listened to her friends, and occasionally, glanced towards the table. Robin found himself distracted by taking curious glances towards her as well, and when he saw her gaze, felt that maybe she was looking at him. Then, the tactician reminded himself that she was interested in Chrom, and not him. The reminder earned a sigh of disappointment, which drew the attention of his close friend.

"What troubles you, Robin?" Chrom asked, glancing towards his friend. "You've been silent and with a scowl on your face all night."

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Chrom," Robin tried to assure his friend. "I'm just having a hard time figuring out a plan. My mind is too distracted."

"Perhaps you are just tired and exhausted," Chrom suggested. "Some rest will do you some good. In the morning, I am fairly confident that you will be able to come up with a plan to rescue my sister."

"Maybe that is why you are unable to think," Frederick joined in. "It could very well be that you are nervous with such high stakes. I wouldn't blame you if that were the case. It is a heavy burden that you can carry, with so many lives in your hand. Your position is one I do not envy."

"I'm just tired, that's it," Robin tried to tell them unconvincingly. "We've been fighting and marching for the past few days, and I haven't gotten any time to rest. Soon enough, I'll retire to sleep, but for now, I'll stay with all of you."

"If you say so," Chrom slowly nodded. "I have complete faith in your abilities to lead us to victory, as you have done in the past. You haven't failed us yet, and I believe that with your sharp mind, we will succeed in defeating Gangrel!"

Even though the stakes were high, Robin was certain that the Shepherds would emerge unscathed while saving Emmeryn. This mission was not their first time protecting the Exalt or dealing with a hostage scenario. Once they were in Plega, the tactician was confident that he could come up with a plan to free her. Until then, he needed to think about how each Shepherd could be used for the upcoming battle. He had recently learned that Plegia was a land with deserts, meaning that their movements on the battlefield would be slowed.

Unfortunately, there was little he could do to fix that. The fighters and knights would not be able to move swiftly on the sand. Even though Miriel promised a spell that could help, the best she was able to do was find one that mages could cast on themselves. Of the spellcasters, Robin was the only one with any martial experience, and he was not that great with a sword. It would be suicide for the mages to run ahead, meaning that they would have to follow behind the slow fighters. While it would prove to be protective for the Shepherds as a whole, they may be too late to save Emmeryn from her fate.

There was one variable that Robin was trying to figure out how to use: the pegasus knights. Unlike most of the Shepherds, Cordelia and Sumia would not be hindered by the sand and could reach Emmeryn in time. However, if they encountered any archers on the way, that would put an end to their short advantage. If they had someone protecting them, skilled warriors who could fly with them and drop down to distract the archers, they may be able to make it in time to save the Exalt. It was just a matter of picking out who.

Upon thinking of Cordelia, Robin glanced towards her table. Part of him thought about maybe putting himself on the job. They have worked together before and he was starting to get use to flying with her. However, he reminded himself that he lacked skill with a blade to be of any use. At best, he may be able to stop a few arrows before falling in defeat. It was better to assigned someone more skilled for the task, someone who could look out for themselves in the battle, but struggled to think of who could meet that criteria.

Then, as a group, Gaius and the pegasus knights stood up from their table, and started to make their way over towards Chrom's table. Robin could already see the smirk on the thief's plan, and knew that his plan was about to come to fruition. The tactician could only think of what his friend had in mind when they finally arrived, pulling up chairs to sit with the rest of their comrades.

"Good evening, everyone," Sumia greeted. "Chrom, Robin, could we talk to you two real quick."

"Of course," Chrom answered while Robin closed his empty journal. "What's up?"

"Before our last battle, Robin and I talked, and I came up with an idea," Cordelia started, her attention focused on Chrom. "I thought that it would be time for Sumia and I to take up partners to train with. If we can get more Shepherds up in the skies, it could prove to be an advantage."

"That is a good idea," Chrom nodded in agreement, turning to Robin. "What do you think about this?"

"As it so happened, I was already thinking of a similar idea," Robin revealed. "It could mean that we are able to transport more of our forces across the battlefield, even it is an extra two soldiers. I've been thinking about who the extra two will be, but I haven't came up with anyone yet."

"Chrom, we were thinking about you flying with us," Sumia told him.

"It would inspire the Shepherds to see their valiant leader taking charge from above," Cordelia quickly added.

"Perhaps you're right," Chrom said, turning to Sumia, "It would be a honor to fly with you once more, Sumia."

"Hate to bring this up, but am I the only one who thinks it's a bad idea to have Blue, our leader so vulnerable?" Gaius brought up. "I mean, that's just putting an unneeded target on your back."

"And if you're in the sky, you'll have little chance to defend yourself," Frederick sternly told Chrom. "I think you're better off on ground."

"Tactically, Sumia and Cordelia would be best as our forward scouts," Robin analyzed. "Chrom, you would be better off leading the bulk of the Shepherds."

"Valid points, I suppose," Chrom nodded with a sigh. "Sorry, Sumia, but you'll have to find someone else to fly with."

"Very well," Sumia frowned. "Thank you for considering."

"While we're on the topic, I think it's pretty clear who should go," Gaius spoke up, his lips curling into a grin. "Bubbles, you inspired Cordelia with the idea. It's only right if you're part of it."

At this point, Robin was not even surprise at Gaius' plans. He just made it so that he and Cordelia would work together, closely at that. He had to give the thief credit where it was due though. He had to have convinced the pegasus knights to present their idea to the leadership of the Shepherds, shoot down the idea of Chrom flying to eliminate a potential rival, and offer Robin as a candidate. The tactician saw the worth of his friend's ability to come up with a plan. Now, if only he could put that skill to better use in battle planning.

"I'll admit that I did thought about asking you to train with me," Cordelia admitted, glancing at Robin. "However, after the battle, I thought you would need time to recover."

"I'm mostly fine now," Robin told everyone.

"Think about it, Blue," Gaius started, all eyes drawn to him. "Robin is a brilliant tactician. If we can put him in the skies, he can see the enemy's movements and plan accordingly. Just say the word, and he'll do it."

"Gaius is right," Chrom nodded in agreement. "Robin, I hope you don't mind your new assignment."

"Not at all," Robin shrugged.

"I suppose we'll be working together now," Cordelia acknowledged. "We'll train in the morning so you can get better use to flying.."

"So, who are we going to get to partner up with me?" Sumia asked curiously.

"Not counting our knights, mages, and healers, Virion is better suited on ground to give covering fire, Lon'qu has to protect Lissa now, Panne is better on the ground for obvious reasons, Donnel is still learning how to fight, and it will be hard trying to find Kellam," Robin planned out. "I guess that just leaves Gaius or Vaike as options to fly with you."

"I'm already flyin'," Vaike slurred out before prompting collapsing onto the ground, spilling the rest of his mug.

"Can't even hold his drink," Sully downed the rest of her mug. "Probably won't be able to hold himself in the air."

"Good thinking," Robin nodded, a smile curling. "Gaius, that leaves you as the only valid option."

"Now, hold on, Bubbles," Gaius held his hands up defensively. "Let's not be rash, here. Maybe we should rethink our options."

"But Gaius, you helped us come up with the plan," Sumia revealed. "Wouldn't you want to help us."

"Chrom, remind me, but I have the authority to assign who goes with who as well, yes?" Robin asked, looking Gaius dead in the eyes.

"You do," Chrom answered.

"Gaius, you're with Sumia," Robin ordered. "I think I will need some rest now. Do you need any help with Vaike?"

"Sully and I can handle Vaike," Chrom told him. "Get some rest."

"We'll see you in the morning for training," Sumia waved with Cordelia nodding behind her.

"See you all then," Robin nodded.

The tactician stood up, stretching his arms up. He briefly glanced towards Cordelia when she walked back to her original table with Sumia. Afterwards, he turned to Gaius, who was muttering something under his breath. Robin smirked, glad to see the thief at the end of his own games. The tactician appreciated his efforts, but never asked for them to begin with. He was not sure what to expect from working and training with Cordelia, but it was a good strategy for reasons already stated. With a yawn, he made his way upstairs for a deserved rest.

* * *

 **A/N: After all they've survived, I certainly believe the Shepherds just needed a night of rest and fun.**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: Honestly, I like writing out the sparring scenes with Robin and Lon'qu. It might have something to do with me being a man of action, but I also see it as a way to show how Robin is improving with his swordmanship. Sure, I could fit him against other foes like the Plegians, but with a single, superior warrior who he fights often enough, his improvement is displayed better.**

 **Until next time.**


	13. Step Two

"Once more, you're welcome, Bubbles," Gaius grinned, the two walking across a snowy plain where the Shepherds were gathered to train.

Robin only sighed, looking down at the snow and kept his hands in his pockets while they walked together. The rest of the Shepherds were preparing for their training session. Frederick was leading Sully and Stahl in a brutal training session. The red knight was doing her best to keep up while the green knight was already starting to grow tired from the physical exercises. Virion, the sole archer of the group, was honing his archery with a target posted on a tree. Panne was out hunting by herself while Chrom and Vaike forming a circle a good ways away from everyone else.

Truth be told, Robin was looking forward to another sparring attempt with his blade. He still needed to improve his swordsmanship if he was going to be able to fight on his own. However, Lon'qu would not be able to join them this time around due to his bodyguard duties. Lissa was preparing their supplies for transportation, along with her bodyguard, Maribelle, Donnel and maybe Kellam. The only Shepherds not training were Miriel and Ricken, who were busy trying to expand the range of the spell they had in mind for Plegia. With Lon'qu away, it would mean that the tactician would spar with Gaius, an opponent more on his skill range.

"Gaius, I don't know why you're trying to help me, but I never asked for it," Robin finally told him. "And just because I know your blasted secret doesn't mean I'm trying to blackmail you!"

"Did I ever say I was doing this to keep your mouth shut?" Gaius asked with a shrug. "There's more to my help than me wanting you to keep a secret."

"Actually, now that I think about it," Robin took a moment to think. "No, you didn't."

"I'm helping you because I'm your wingman," Gaius reminded him. "Which is about to take a more literal term given our new roles."

"So, you gain nothing out of this?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe."

"We're pals, Bubbles," Gaius reasoned. "And let's face it, there's not a whole lot you can turn to for your girl troubles. Blue's too dense to notice both of the pegasus knights fawning over him. Q doesn't care. And-"

"Alright, I get it," Robin interrupted. "So, what's step two in this crazy plan of yours?"

"I got bored, so I moved along with the plan," Gaius informed him. "Step two was getting closer to your dream girl. Step three is to keep talking with her until you stand out to her."

"Gaius, this plan of yours isn't complex at all," Robin pointed out. "Given time, even I could come up with this, and it wouldn't even interfere with planning out our war efforts."

"Let me assure you that there's more to this plan of mine," Gaius grinned. "There are parts of it happening around you that you shouldn't worry yourself about. Now that we're fashionably late, we can meet up with the pegasus knights."

Robin did follow Gaius' advice on not thinking about what else he had planned, but he was certain that there was more the thief was keeping from him. He admitted that he was not doing this because of that stupid secret, and maybe if he was doing it because he valued their friendship. That did not stop him from having his own, personal motivations. The tactician was not sure what he wanted from this ordeal, but he was convinced that his friend had a sharp and cunning mind. If only he put that mind towards the war effort instead of love.

Finally, towards the border of the forest, the duo finally met up with Sumia and Cordelia. Sumia stood on the ground, brushing the mane of her steed with a brush while remaining oblivious to their arrival. Cordelia remained mounted on the saddle of her pegasus, and nodded in greetings towards the tactician and thief. Sumia finally took notice of their approach and quickly turned around to greet them, hiding the brush behind her back. Gaius gave a big grin when he stopped while Robin simply gave an approving nod.

"Mornin' Stumbles," Gaius greeted. "Sorry to keep you two waiting."

"It's fine," Sumia smiled. "It was just a few minutes.."

"Minutes we could have spent training," Cordelia dutifully pointed out. "I hope that this won't be normal."

"I'll be on time from here on out," Robin told her quickly, resisting the urge to jab Gaius with his elbow for his timing.

"Eh, it depends on if I'm sleeping in or not," Gaius shrugged. "So, what do we got for today's training?"

"First, we need to get you two ready to fly as fast as our pegasuses can," Cordelia explained. "That's the best way we can get you adjusted to flying."

"I already flew as fast as Belfire could with Gaius," Sumia reminded her friend. "I think he's ready for action with me."

"At least something good came out of that," Gaius sighed in relief. "Looks like I'm freed for today."

"Robin, you have much to improve on," Cordelia turned her sharp gaze towards the tactician.

"I do?" Robin asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"If you're going to fly full time, you can't be so distant," Cordelia informed him. "If you keep me at arm's length in battle, you are going to fall off. Remember flying with me when we first me? That's how you should fly with me all the time."

Suddenly, step two being getting closer to Cordelia made more sense to Robin. He remembered their first meeting fondly, where he did not mind being so close to her. Perhaps it was because they were already midway into a battle, or maybe his feelings for the pegasus knight were not developed by then. Regardless, flying with her in such a manner now would prove to be a whole new challenge. Yet, everyone was expecting him to take to the skies, so there was no backing down now. He would have to try not thinking about how he felt when he was close to her, at least when they were flying together.

"We're all grown here." Gaius slapped Robin on the back of his shoulder, snapping him back to reality. "If I can survive a high speed flight, so can you, Bubbles."

"The first ride if the worst, but once you get past it, you'll get used to it," Sumia encouraged.

Cordelia extended a hand over to Robin to pull him up on her pegasus. Hesitantly, Robin grabbed onto her hand, his cheeks already slightly red, but thankfully, she did not notice. She helped him up onto the pegasus, where he sat behind her. Slowly, he pressed his chest against her back, scooting closer to her while wrapping his arms around her hip. By now, the tactician's cheeks were burning red being so close to the pegasus knight. To his good fortune, Gaius managed to distract Sumia briefly by offering her candy, so no one else noticed. Maybe there were some benefits to having the thief as his wingman.

"Are you ready, Robin?" Cordelia asked, glancing over her shoulder briefly.

"I suppose I am," Robin nodded.

"Hold on tight!" Cordelia spurred on the reins of her pegasus.

At first, it was a slow trop, and although it broke into a swift gallop, it was an easy adjustment for Robin to make. Cordelia pulled up on her reins, her pegasus now taking flight with its wings flapping furiously. The majestic beast started to fly higher up, picking up on speed. Instinctively, the tactician found himself holding onto the pegasus knight tighter, his head resting on her shoulder.

They were miles above the ground, the snow practically shining beneath them. Far to the south, Robin could make up mountains in the distance, followed by the sandy deserts of the realm of Plegia. In another day or two, they would be in the land of their enemy, ready to continue on with their mission. Cordelia led her pegasus to perform simple acrobatics, such as sharp turns, to get the tactician use to flying. She made no attempt to slow down during such turns, her pegasus still flying at full speed.

Robin was slightly terrified, but he was not screaming out in terror at all. He only flew with Cordelia three times, yet the flight felt comforting. Now that he was closer to Cordelia, he felt assured to be up in the air, even when they were flying faster than any normal horse could gallop. Perhaps he was starting to grow accustomed to the pegasus knight. If that were the case, then maybe this plan set in motion would work out just fine. Granted, there was no way they would be able to have conversation while flying, but step three was another bridge to pass completely.

"I'm taking us back for a landing!" Cordelia practically shouted over the fierce winds.

"Fair enough!" Robin replied back.

With that heads up, Cordelia started to make her way to the clearing where the Shepherds trained. Her pegasus slowed down as they came upon the landing. While they grew closer, Robin could see the rest of the Shepherds joining up with the caravan, with Sumia and Gaius waiting for them. It was time to continue their journey to Plegia. When the pegasus contacted with the ground, it kept galloping, slowly down. Eventually, it came to a complete stop in front of Sumia and Gaius. The tactician let go of Cordelia, letting out a sigh.

"So, how was it?" Sumia asked.

"He's ready to fly," Cordelia informed them. "Let's hope that you can keep that composure in battle. From here on out, we'll train through combat scenarios every morning."

"Agreed," Robin dismounted from his pegasus. "I look forward to flying with you again, Cordelia. We should join the others and start making our way south now."

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Gaius asked with a grin while Sumia and Cordelia galloped off.

"It wasn't bad at all," Robin smiled warmly. "It was great. I have a feeling that this is the start of a wonderful partnership."

* * *

 **A/N: The Shepherds continue their way to Plegia, although they'll have more than Gangrel's forces to face off against. *hint hint***

 **Warrior of Six Blades: It was about time I reflected properly on how Robin was distracted because of his feelings. That's just about what the story is about. You were right about Gaius' motivation, but with this chapter, there seems to be more to the thief than he's letting on. I got a feeling that if anyone's going to find out what he has in mind, it'll be you.**

 **Until next time.**


	14. Facing the Victor

Robin hoped that their journey towards Plegia would go uninterrupted and without any trouble. Yet, while crossing through the thick, arctic wilderness, Frederick took the opportunity to scout ahead. What he found was a single village, isolated in the forest, surrounded by a band of bandits. The knight reported to Chrom that only a single woman with red hair defended the village, and was likely to be overrun at any moment. The tactician already knew what to expect from his friend when the report was given.

"Although we may no longer be in Ylisse, the Shepherds shall defend this town!" Chrom declared. "Robin, I need you to come up with a strategy."

"Of course," Robin nodded. "Give me a minute to think."

The Shepherds were set up on a hill that overlooked the forest that surround the village. Sure enough, Robin could see movement amongst the trees, most likely the bandits pressing on to the village. A fierce river separated them from the village, although a bridge was built to offer safe passage. Yet, with the way the bandits moved, they would be able to intercept any forces crossing the the south, the tactician saw two men shouting out orders, the commanders of the attack. They would need to be eliminated.

Robin took a quick estimate of the bandits he could see, and determined that the Shepherds could match them per person. Yet, to do so would mean risking injury, something that could hinder them in their upcoming battles with Plegia. Additionally, if Miriel or Ricken or any of the other mages fell, it would make traveling across the harsh deserts rougher. For the sake of the war, the tactician would have to limit their forces. Running through the calculations in his head, he came up with a suitable plan that will only take ten of their available forces.

"We'll split into three teams," Robin declared. "Chrom, I want you to lead the reinforcements to the village. Stahl and Sully will aid in the fight and escorting Maribelle until the four of you can give the woman defending the town aid."

"Fair enough," Chrom nodded in agreement. "What of you?"

"I suppose it was a good idea for you to implement our new flying forces," Robin smirked. "With Cordelia and Sumia, Gaius and I can give covering fire until we can get to their commander's position. From there, they'll drop us off and keep us safe while we fight their leader."

"And who will I be leading?" Frederick questioned.

"You'll be leading the remaining Shepherds here as back up," Robin told the knight. "I'm having Virion take Panne north of our position to clear that out. After they're done with that, they'll meet with Chrom or I, depending on who needs more help."

"Are you sure we should leave some of the Shepherds out of this fight?" Chrom asked.

"I am," Robin confidently answered. "I'd rather not take any risk for injury, especially since we're at full strength."

"If you insist," Chrom shrugged. "Frederick, you have your orders. We'll handle it from here."

Frederick nodded and led the benched Shepherds away from the battlefield, leaving the ten. Robin was glad that they were all close enough to overheard his plan, which meant that he did not need to repeat everything over again. Sully and Stahl rode up to Chrom and Maribelle respectively and helped them up onto their horses. Virion approached Panne with a smug grin, taking a few steps away from him. The tactician thought that out of the Shepherds, those two would be best for fighting in the woods, and hoped that they would be able to work together.

The pegasus knights and Gaius waited for Robin, who walked over to join them. The tactician and thief pulled themselves to join Cordelia and Sumia on their mounts. Hesitantly, Robin wrapped an arm around Cordelia, and with his spare hand, he pulled out the new tome. It would be good to get back to fighting with magic once more, something he preferred over swords easily. Gaius likewise pulled out his sword with one hand and wrapped his arm around Sumia, more comfortable with her.

"Thanks for the tome, Cordelia," Robin quickly told her without thanking. "I've been meaning to tell you that."

"No problem," Cordelia nodded. "Ready?"

"Ready!" Robin nodded back.

"To battle, Shepherds!" Chrom called out.

The cavaliers rushed off to confront the knights while Panne and Virion traveled north from the edge of the forest. The pegasus knights took flight, with Robin noting that they were not going as fast as they could. Given how close their targets were, going at full speed may be too dangerous. Now in the air, the tactician was able to get a better idea of the bandit's numbers. Five bandits guarded their single warlord while there were three bandits to the north, lying in ambush. There was a bandit guarding the bridge leading to the village, but he was not around for too much longer. Sumia flew past him while a sword slash from Gaius sent him crashing into the river.

While the rest of the Shepherds clashed against the ambushing knights, Cordelia flew out to aid Sumia and Gaius, who faced two bandit reinforcements on the edge of the river: a mage and a warrior wielding an axe. While flying towards them, the pegasus knight and thief worked together, with the latter shielding the former with his sword while she struck down the mage. Robin flipped through the pages of his tome, reading from it while pointing a hand towards the remaining warrior. A powerful surge of thunder struck his chest,sending him flying across the open, snowy field. The tactician grinned, glad to have his magic back.

Another wizard tried to flank the duo from behind. Thankfully, Cordelia heard him coming, and had her pegasus fly in a circle, avoiding the lightning blast. During the short moment he faced the ambusher, Robin quickly chanted, letting a bolt of lightning strike him across his face. His opponent crashed into the ground with a thud, unmoving asides from an occasional twitch. The two pegasus knights landed in front of the bridge, giving the tactician time to analyze the enemy. Three warriors, including the commander, and a single archer.

"Easy pickings, am I right, Bubbles?" Gaius grinned.

"Not with that archer," Robin shook his head, and threw himself off from the pegasus, his feet landing in the snow. "Cordelia, Sumia, fly back until that archer is dealt with. Gaius, keep the warriors stalled until they can join us once more."

"Roger that," Sumia nodded to the plan.

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who has a problem with me fighting three of them at once," Gaius sighed, hopping down from the pegasus.

"You're good at dodging," Robin smirked.

"Maybe you could send one of us north to aid Chrom?" Cordelia asked with a hint of hope in her voice. "Aurora can carry me there within a few seconds."

"I saw a few arrows flying through the threes up there," Gaius reported. "Not sure how many, but there's more than one."

"The plan doesn't change," Robin told the group. "Let's get ready."

Robin could see the disappointment on Cordelia's face as she frowned before she disappeared with Sumia into the skies. Of course, with her infatuation for Chrom, there was little he could do. The battle was important, but part of him was pained to see the pegasus knight look at him like that instead of the way she looks at their leader. He quickly pushed that thought aside, reminding himself of the battle. The tactician nodded to Gaius, with the two advancing across the bridge. He stood on the middle of it with the thief guarding the front of it. The bandits were aware of their presence, and started to advance, only to be halted by their commanders raised fist.

"Hold position!" the commander called out with a grin.

"Got it, Victor!" one of the bandits called back.

"Didn't see that coming," Gaius sighed. "Why didn't they take the free bait that carries sweets on him?"

"Curses, they know we're trying to lure them out for Cordelia and Sumia to engage," Robin muttered under his breath. "New plan! I'll cover you while you get to the archer!"

"And leave you exposed?" Gaius argued back quickly.

"I can handle myself," Robin grinned. "Follow orders."

Gaius hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and stepped aside. Robin charged forward, flipping through the pages of his tome. The thief followed behind him, slowing down to allow his friend to take charge. He stopped in front of the lead bandit in the formation, and muttered a quick incantation, two surges of thunder ending his life. Gaius ran past the tactician and leaped over the smoldering corpse, and slashed his sword twice across the archer: the first to break his bow, and the other to separate his head from his body.

With the archer defeated, all they had to do was hold out long enough for Cordelia and Sumia to join the fray. The remaining bandit charged forward, swinging his axe wildly at Gaius. The thief easily sidestepped the blow, and with a series of slashes across his chest, ended his life. Victor took a step back from Gaius and grinned wickedly. Even though his men were all dead, he was still confident that he could win the battle.

"I was born a Victor, and victory will be mine!" Victor called out.

"Now, that was a good pun," Gaius chuckled. "I almost hate that I have to kill- GRAH!"

Robin screamed out for his friend, seeing the axe Victor held in his hands flying out towards Gaius, but it was too late. The weapon struck true, burying its blade deep into his shoulder and sent him plummeting to the ground. The tactician rushed to aid the thief, kneeling by his side while forgetting for the battle momentarily. Instead of moving forward to strike, Victor ran towards the trees. He cursed upon seeing the outline of the bridge, realizing that escape was his plan all along. Although he was chanting a new spell, he knew that it was too late for him to stop it.

However, before Victor could hide within the trees, a spear struck him, glancing off his side. He growled, looking up to see Cordelia, flying down to intercept him while throwing another javelin. He too threw another axe, letting it soar past her weapon, which struck him true in the shoulder. It would have been easy enough for Robin to finish off the bandit, he knew how devastating his axe throws were. He extended his hand toward the sky, a blast of lightning slamming into the weapon in midair and sending it towards the ground.

While Victor had been distracted by Cordelia, he was oblivious to Sumia, who flew low and struck at the bandit with her lance, piercing an artery in his leg. He screamed out in pain, and swung another axe towards her. She flew back just in time to avoid its deadly edge, and struck out against his face, leaving a nasty slash that left him blind in one eye. Robin helped Gaius up from the ground, letting the thief pull the axe free from his shoulder while he flipped through the pages of his tome.

"I have just the spell to finish the dastard off," Robin muttered.

"I got this, Bubbles," Gaius grinned. "Just this once, then you can be the hero."

Before Robin could stop his friend, Gaius dashed forward in a sprint, leaving a trail of his own blood on the white snow. He slid underneath Sumia's pegasus while her lance clashed with Victor's axe, and quickly stood back up. He pivoted around to face the bandit, who grew more alarmed as he was now exposed. Not giving him the chance to react, he swung his blade across his throat. More blood splashed on the snow while Victor collapsed on the ground, struggling with his final breath.

"I… seee an open field, Vincent," Victor coughed out some blood, finally passing away. "Such beautiful flowers…"

"Damn shame I'm in too much pain to think of a pun," Gaius held onto his open wound. "It stings."

"Gaius!" Sumia hopped off her pegasus and rushed off to check in on him. "That looks really bad!"

"I'll survive," Gaius assured her.

"Try not to be so reckless, Gaius," Robin warned his friend. "You could have lost an arm, or even worse, your life."

"It's not too bad," Gaius shrugged, grimacing in pain. "Have Princess or Twinles look at it, and then I'll be good in the morning. I think this was a qualified success for our new unit, wouldn't you think?"

"It was a risky plan, but it paid off," Cordelia nodded in agreement. "We should head back to the others now."

"Agreed, but we'll split up for now," Robin declared. "Sumia, take Gaius north before he bleeds out so Maribelle can treat him. Cordelia, we'll fly out to meet Frederick and the rest of the Shepherds to tell them how the battle went."

Sumia nodded, and quickly supported Gaius over to her pegasus. Robin pulled himself up to rejoin Cordelia, who flew off back to the hill where the Shepherds were first gathered. He took a look at the battlefield, and grinned upon seeing that the rest of the bandits had been dealt with. He kept his arms around the pegasus knight confidently, glad to have won the battle. Maybe this partnership between the two of them would work out.

* * *

 **A/N: I bet none of you saw this coming. Normally, paralogue 2 happens later in the story, but I decided to save it and make use of it now to show how effective the new tactics for the Pegasus Knights. There's another reason I thought about showing this now, but that's for later on.**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: Yeah, I get what you mean. Also, I feel this chapter shows more of the forming trust and bond between Robin and Cordelia. It'll continue to grow, especially with the Shepherds growing closer to Plegia.**

 **Until next time**


	15. A Day at the Market

In the aftermath of the battle, the town welcomed the Shepherds with open arms, promising them a good night's rest so that they could enter Plegia. Additionally, the merchant they saved, a woman named Anna, promised to sell her goods "at a discount" as she put it. Robin analyzed the weapons she offered, and seeing an improvement compared to what the Shepherd's offered, recommended that they buy the new blades for their upcoming battles. Chrom exchanged the coin with the merchant and received the weapons as promised. Then, as quickly as she appeared, Anna disappeared off to her next destination. Robin was insistent on updating their supplies, as is his duty of the unspoken quartermaster title, but Chrom requested that he took a break instead.

"You work too much," Chorm told the tactician. "Asides from the time when you were injured just this week, I cannot recall anytime when you took a break and relaxed."

"Chrom, may I remind you that I am planning a war," Robin replied. "I can't afford to take breaks."

"And we can't have our best tactician exhaust himself and make a mistake," Chrom pointed out. "Just half a day, then tomorrow, you can get back to work."

Robin sighed out once Chrom was out of earshot. While it was glad to see his friend less worried about his sister and concern for his friend at once, he had work to get done and little time to waste. The role of a tactician one was costly and took up any free time he had. He tried his best to interact with the Shepherds as best as he could, but overall, their safety and survival in battle was more necessary than free time for himself.

While Robin wanted to get back to his planning, he was certain that if he, Chrom would just order him to take a break.

Robin decided to respect the wishes of his friend, even though he never really had any hobbies he enjoyed. With what little free time he had, he read books, of which he was out to read at the moment, and played chess. Usually, it was against himself, but occasionally, he had the opportunity to play against Virion, the one Shepherd that was better than him. It was enough to get him thinking so that his mind did not wander. At the inn, he tried to find the archer to challenge him to another game, but found him right as he was leaving to go on a hunt. The tactician recalled that Panne hunted whenever the Shepherds were in town, and knew that Virion's declaration could not be a coincidence given they fought today. He sighed, hoping his friend would not be killed in his romantic pursuit of the tanguel.

With no one to challenge him mentally, Robin thought about training himself physically. With Lon'qu acting as Lissa's bodyguard, it was hard to find times to spar, but given that they were in town, he figured now would be as good of time as any. He found the two in town center, but neither of them were alone. A crowd gathered around the warrior, who fought against Vaike. Strangely enough, the fighter was yelling about Lon'qu being his squire, earning a sigh from the tactician. Lissa was in sight, sitting on a bench and talking with Maribelle. He was confident that if anyone threatened the princess that Lon'qu would be able to break through the crowd to stop it with ease.

With no other options, Robin found himself wandering down the streets aimlessly. Truth be told, he hated how he was currently doing nothing productive. Even if he was stressing himself with a war, he was getting something done. Now, he was accomplishing nothing, and it was killing him. He needed to do something other than walk around.

When he round the corner to enter the merchant's square, an answer presented itself to the tactician. Among the traders trying to sell their various wares was Gaius, seated behind a poorly built stand with a grin. His arm was up in a sling, but according to Lissa, he would be patched up by tomorrow morning. On the stall and spread out behind him were various goods and trinkets that the tactician had never seen before. Now that he thought about it, he was also confident that the thief was no merchant. He saw no reason in checking in on his friend, both on his well being and his current scheme.

"Gaius," Robin greeted when he approached the stall. "Good to see you're up and about."

"Princess told me I only needed to lay off my arm for the day," Gaius told him. "So, I'm takin' it easy today."

"By running a stall?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow. "I never thought of you with a merchant."

"Oh, sure. I like to get out, meet the common folk, sell the odd trinket," Gaius explained and started to motion to his wares. "Speaking of which, see anything you fancy? I've got smallclothes from exotic ports, genuine leather belts, and top-quality figs among other things."

"Do you have any books?" Robin asked, coming up with an idea. "Strategy books, specifically? As always, I'm hoping to expand my tactical knowledge to better serve the Shepherds. And since I am to take a break from my planning today, I might as well have something to read."

"Just a moment!" Gaius shot up from his seat and dashed off. "I got what you're looking for!"

"Gaius, where are you going?" Robin called out.

Gaius did not answer Robin, heading to another merchant stall and talking to a middle age man there. He was unable to hear the words exchanged but it was clear to tell that there was a deal going on. The thief reached into his cloak to pull out a bag and discreetly handed it to the merchant. The man nodded, and motioned to a crate at the corner of the stall. He grabbed it and made his way back to his own stand, struggling to do so with his one good arm. He set it down on his stand, which heaved from the weight. The crate was opened, revealing stacks of books within.

"Take a gander at this lot," Gaius told his friend. "Tell me if any of 'em tickle your fancy."

"This crate is full of books, Gaius," Robin commented, pulling out one tome and flipping through the pages.

"Here, they're yours," Gaius pushed the crate towards Robin. "My gift to you! But that makes us even about the whole 'wink-wink' thing."

"Gods, you are a pighead," Robin sighed out and slammed the book back into the crate. "For the last time, Gaius, I am not blackmailing you! Now please, take your books back."

"Oh, so books aren't good enough for you?" Gaius questioned sharply. "Still holding out for something better?"

"Sometimes I wonder why I even try," Robin sighed, his eyes drifting over to a familiar sight behind Gaius' stand. "Gaius, hand me those robes you have."

"You like them?" Gaius reached over for the robes. "They're yours."

"I don't want the robes," Robin told him. "You seriously don't see it?"

"Guess not," Gaius shrugged, handing the robes over. "So, what am I supposed to see, Bubbles?"

"This," Robin took the robes and unfolded them.

Robin's eyes were quick to notice the familiarity of the design, which became apparent once he held it up at his side. Although perhaps a size too large for him, the color scheme was almost identical to his signature robes. It had long sleeves and a hood, and although the shade of purple was a lighter color, it had the same markings of his own pair. Inside, it was laced in fur, most likely to protect the wearer from the cold. Gaius' eyes drifted from the tactician, then to the robes, then back to his friend before the realization finally hit him.

"What a coincidence," Gaius commented. "They match. I guess that means you should take them."

"Gaius, where did you get these robes?" Robin asked. "The exact location?"

"You see, a merchant traded it over in exchange for some of those smallclothes," Gaius answered. "Said it originally came from Plegia, but he modified it to accomodate for the cold of Feroxi. Pretty useful, huh?"

"Plegia," Robin muttered.

"Plegia," Gaius nodded. "Say, it looked like you just saw a ghost there, Bubbles."

"Gaius, you don't understand," Robin folded the robes back up. "I don't remember anything about who I am or where I'm from because of my amnesia. My robes are all I have of my past life, the only clue I've had. I have yet to see such a design in Ylisse or Feroxi. Now, I'm finding out that the robes I wear could be from Plegia, who we are currently at war with."

Robin's past was an unspoken concern that he had little time to worry about. His identity and who he was was something he questioned back when he first joined the Shepherds, but when the war escalated, his priorities changed. The sight of the robes were enough to get him thinking about where he was from once more. How would the rest of the Shepherds act if he was Plegian? Did he have any family back in Plegia? Could he have been part of the Plegians pretending to be bandits to strike over the border, hence how he ended in Ylisse? His mind was filled with questions that he was unsure on how to get the answers to.

"Bubbles, now is not the time to think about you invading your possible birthplace," Gaius snatched the robes and threw them behind him. "We have more important matters to discuss."

"Gaius, I doubt that even you could get my mind off of this," Robin told his friend kindly.

"Give me a moment, Robin," Gaius searched through the crate of books. "In the meanwhile, I don't recall any of the Plegians wearing something like that."

"Most of the Plegians we've met were soldiers in armor," Robin reminded him.

"My point stands!" Gaius declared, pulling out a book. "Here, we're going to worry about matters of the heart now! The good news is you're making good progress with Cordelia."

"Is this your way of explaining the next step in your ridiculous plan?" Robin asked, now thinking of Cordelia rather than his origin. "What am I on? Step four?"

"Step three still," Gaius still held the book. "I want you to read this and talk to me tonight."

"What's this?" Robin took the book and read the title out loud. "How to Make Him Fall For You in a Fortnight? GAIUS!"

"Before you make a scene, I'd like to say that I've heard from a trusted source that this is Cordelia's favorite book," Gaius assured him with a grin. "Now, get reading, Bubbles."

Robin was prepared to call Gaius out, but something held back his tongue from doing so. Hesitantly, he pocketed the book into an interior pocket of his robes. He gave it a swift pat and glanced about his surroundings. The thief gave his friend a wink and shooed him away to start reading. The tactician sighed, but given that he knew how Gaius worked, knew it was best to read it before he was forced to. Without taking a glance back, he quickly made his way away from the merchant's district, ready to get to reading.

* * *

 **A/N: After several battles, I decided it would be best to get back to the supports. I plan on going about with the supports for another chapter or two given how it's nice to see the Shepherds interacting outside of battle.**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: As confirmed in this chapter, you were right about the woman being Anna. And Robin only sending out ten to face the bandits was because of the limitations of the game. It was good to use the characters I have on the bench though, even though most of their hard work was in the background.**

 **Anonymous: Glad to hear it. I will be keeping up the writing, but for now, something came up that requires my full attention. I'll be back April 9, ready to continue the support conversations.**

 **Until next time.**


	16. Onto the Next Step

Normally, the Shepherds had no need to set up their supplie's tent. They only needed it for when they were setting up camp out in the wilderness. When they were safely in town, there never was enough room for such a large tent. However, with the weapons Anna supplied, they set it up outside the town's walls for the sake of transporting the weapons into it. Robin recalled that it was Stahl and Kellam who transported the arms, but what they failed to do was take down the tent afterwards. Not that the tactician did not mind. In fact, it served his purposes well enough.

Robin was fortunate enough to glance over the records of the transaction between the Shepherds and was quite surprised to see one of the newly acquired weapons was a spell tome. Not just any tome, but Thoron. The tactician heard of the spell through his research and knew of its potential and power. Such a weapon would be valuable and necessary in their war against Plegia. He was certain that Chrom would not mind that if he took part of his free day to secure the tome. It was only a few minutes at most and time better spent now rather than tomorrow, where he would be back to work.

The tent stood outside of the walls of the town, the gentle breeze blowing the flaps to the side. Robin sighed upon seeing no other Shepherd standing guard over the supplies tent. Then again, Kellam was one of the two assigned to set up the tent. For all the tactician knew, the silent warrior could be standing guard over the tent. Maybe he was trying to stop him from entering. He chuckled outat the thought and made his way into the tent, not giving it second thought.

The familiar sight of crates and weapons earned a sigh of relief from Robin. There was a part of him that missed the early hours where he worked alone in the tent, keeping track of the storage of the Shepherds. Yet, today, he was not alone. Cordelia's back was to him as she remained seated on one of the crates, fastening her javelin together. The tactician swore that his heart skipped a beat when he saw her. He remained motionless, looking at her and questioning himself on why he was not able to talk to her. He nearly gasped when Cordelia glanced over her shoulder, offering him a friendly smile.

"Robin," she greeted, turning around and standing up. "Sorry. I guess I didn't hear you walk in."

"It's quite fine," Robin responded, wondering how much time passed. "I just wanted to check on something."

"And I was hoping to talk to you," Cordelia told him. "That morning in that one town, before we arrived in Ferox, you offered me ideas on how I could improve my javelin. Do you remember?"

"I do," Robin nodded. "The point was prone to break, the grip was weak, and the material was fragile."

"Well, I created a new javelin based on your feedback," Cordelia told him, holding her javelin out to him. "Want to take a look?"

"You made one?!" Robin asked in shock, taking the javelin and looking it over. "As in, you forged it yourself? You didn't assembled it from a kit, or something?"

"I cut a sapling, fashioned a grip, and hammered a point in the forge," Cordelia explained, motioning to length of the javelin. "Look. See the pattern on the shaft? It's my own design. I just finished it up in here. Well? What do you think?"

Robin was speechless at the effort she took. In the course of days, she created her own javelin, one of which was superior in terms of quality to what the Shepherds have received originally. He was amazed at what the pegasus knight was able to accomplish when she sets her mind to something. The shaft was engraved with dancing pegasuses soaring throughout the javelin. It was an unnecessary detail but one that she took great pleasure in. There was so much on his mind that he wanted to tell her. The tactician wanted to tell her how amazing she was. Still, he held his tongue back. He could not trust himself with telling her too much out of fear that maybe something would risk.

"I think that I wasn't expecting you to go and fashion a whole javelin from scratch," was all Robin was able mutter, just loudly enough for her to hear. "You really are a genius!"

"I beg your pardon," Cordelia took a step back from Robin, nearly looking away from him.

"Oh, uh, I, well, sorry," Robin struggled to recover, realizing the mistake he just made. "I know you're sensitive about that word. Just a slip of a tongue, that's all."

"It's alright, Robin," Cordelia sighed in relief. "I know you meant no harm with your words. It's just something I am trying to accustomed to."

"Moving on, I'm glad I was able to help out," Robin told her, holding the weapon back to her. "You did an excellent job with making your javelin. I hope it serves you well in battle."

"Thank you, Robin," Cordelia accepted her javelin back. "I couldn't have done it if it wasn't for your notes on how it could be improved."

"If there's anything else I can do, please tell me," Robin offered, smiling.

"Robin, you are far too kind," Cordelia complimented, then, much to the tactician's surprise, frowned. "N-no, wait. We can't be doing this. People will get the wrong idea!"

"The wrong idea?" Robin muttered, his cheeks starting to burn red. "Cordelia, you don't mean what I think you're implying, are you?"

"It's just that because you're so kind to me all of the time," Cordelia started. "People will start to think-"

"I know," Robin interrupted."We should talk about-"

"-we're friends," Cordelia finished. "Robin? Is something wrong? Your face is all red?"

"It's nothing really," Robin quickly assured her, sighing in relief. "I thought you were going to say something else."

"Say what?" Cordelia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's nothing," Robin replied. "But why would it be bad that we're friends? We are friends. I mean, aren't we?"

"D-do you think so?" Cordelia was shocked just as Robin was earlier. "Truly?!"

"Of course," Robin nodded, his cheeks slowly fading of its color. "Why not?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cordelia closed her eyes. "I guess… I guess I was not accustomed to not having any. I was the youngest recruit in the pegasus knights. All of my comrades were veterans. There was no one whom I could truly call my friend."

"That's so very sad," Robin stepped forward to comfort Cordelia.

"Oh, well, as I said, I grew accustomed to it," Cordelia opened her eyes and weakly smiled. "Besides, I had Aurora to talk to, even though the conversations were one-sided."

"Heh, I bet they were," Robin smirked jokingly. "Still, you may consider me a friend, Cordelia."

Even without Gaius being there to guide him in his pursuits, Robin was glad that this was the right step to take. If step three was talking until he stood out, then he definitely stood out to her with this conversation. Cordelia now had a friend she could rely on. There were different obstacles the tactician faced, from risking his life in battle to fighting his nervousness, but eventually, he overcame his weakness.

However, Robin was quick to remind himself that he made two mistakes with talking to Cordelia. The first is, even though he did his best to limit his compliments to her, he did let slip that she was a genius. Although he knew it for a fact that she was a genius, she hated to be call such due to how the pegasus knights used to treat her. Such a mistake would have ruined the progress he was able to make today if he was not quick to recover and apologize.

The second mistake was a new problem he faced in that he nearly revealed his feelings to Cordelia too soon. He was quick to assume that she was referring to love when she meant friendship instead. Even the tactician could not predict how the conversation would turn out if he had let slip how he really felt. Mentally, Robin reminded himself that Cordelia did not feel the same as he did, not yet at least. Her heart still belonged to Chrom.

"Speaking of weapons, good work with using your tome last battle," Cordelia complemented. "I thought that you would do better with a spell to cast."

"Thank you, Cordelia," Robin nodded, feeling a little bit guilty about wanting to replace it with a more powerful tome.

"And before you ask, I already took record of the new supplies," Cordelia reported. "That's why you came here, right?"

"Uh, of course," Robin nodded, taking the way out. "I'll just double check everything. It's just what I'm used to. I'm confident that you got it out."

"Very well," Cordelia bowed and made her way to the tent entrance. "Don't take too long. I'll see you later."

"Of course," Robin sighed out, his cheeks slightly blushing.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm back and ready to continue the story. I apologize for my abrupt absence. An unexpected event came up that required my full attention. Nothing too terrible though, all fun but a lot of preparation. Well, I should be able to write for a few more months until Summer catches up. I'm hoping to have this story completed before I leave for college this fall. Here's to hoping I can make it.**

 **Until next time.**


	17. Emergency Meeting

"Bubbles, you messed everything up!" Gaius exclaimed, walking alongside the tactician carrying a tray of food with sweets.

"I did what you told me to do, Gaius," Robin defended himself. "Talked to her and made myself stand out. Like, maybe I did slip up a few times. It all worked out in the end."

"Look, I'll explain in another minute or two," Gaius sighed. "I'm calling for an emergency meeting regarding you and her."

"Gaius, we're the only ones who even know," Robin pointed out.

"No we're not," Gaius smirked. "Try to keep up, Bubbles."

It was dinner for the Shepherds, who gathered in the tavern's dining room. For tonight, the common folk of the town they saved joined the veterans at their feast, sharing in a delightful meal. Robin took the time to inform Gaius of what happened with his conversation with Cordelia. He thought that maybe the thief would be proud that he took initiative for once and move on with whatever plan he had in mind. Much to the tactician's surprise, he did not take the news kindly, leading to their current interaction.

Walking throughout the crowd with their food, Robin was quick to realize who Gaius referred to for his emergency meeting. Sitting a table away from Lissa and Maribelle's table was Lon'qu, who sat alone with his meal completed. He was getting use to his role as bodyguard to the princess, even though he still had his personal grievances with it. However, the warrior was the last person the tactician would turn to for relationship advice. Still, Gaius sat down at Lon'qu's table, and with a sigh, his friend followed suit.

"Leave," Lon'qu commanded.

"I'm sorry, Lon'qu," Robin apologized ahead of time.

"You can stay," Lon'qu corrected himself. "The criminal must leave."

"Q, we're having an emergency meeting about Bubble's lady troubles," Gaius informed him, ignoring the blunt request. "As one of the two I told, you're involved with the meeting."

"This was all his idea," Robin told his friend before Gaius' words registered in his head. "Hold on a moment. You told someone else?!"

"This is none of my business, and if it weren't for my duty to protect Chrom's sister, I would leave you two here," Lon'qu grunted. "I have nothing further to say on the matter."

"Gaius, who else did you tell?" Robin asked, nearly furious.

"Sorry, but the first order of business is discussing how to fix the mistake you made," Gaius waved off Robin. "So, Q, Bubbles talked with Cordelia today while trying to take a Thoron tome, and boy, it went south real fast. She thinks of him as a friend."

"Did you get the Thoron tome?" Lon'qu asked, trying to change the subject.

"I might have forgotten about it," Robin rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks blushing red. "I mean, the Thunder tome she got me works well enough."

"Look, you're all missing the point that once a girl thinks of a boy as a friend means that they do not think of that same man as a potential love interest," Gaius explained. "That's common knowledge, Bubbles, and you're supposed to be a tactical genius!"

"Gaius, that's absurd," Robin sighed out.

"All of this is absurd," Lon'qu agreed.

"Step four was to take her out on a date," Gaius continued. "However, I'm gonna have to pull a lot of strings to make that happen."

"Gaius, we can talk about the date when we're not marching out to war," Robin told him. "Who did you tell?"

"I suppose you did bring up that business before I brought up the date," Gaius nodded in agreement. "Alright. Bubbles, I just want you to know that your secret is still safe."

"Who did you tell?" Robin repeated.

"And that I wouldn't share your secret with just anyone unless I think it can help our case," Gaius defended himself, looking somewhat nervous.

"Who did you tell?"

"I told Stumbles."

Robin immediately had to resist the urge to lash out at Gaius from his declaration. Any signs of aggression would only raise more questions from the Shepherds. While the tactician calmed down, he was surprised to see how emotional he had gotten. If he was unable to keep his emotions regarding the situation with Cordelia in check, it may affect his skills as a tactician. He already had enough problems as it stood and could not be disturbed by anymore.

"So, you're telling me that you told Sumia that I am falling in love with Cordelia," Robin started. "You do realize that the two of them are like sisters."

"I do," Gaius nodded.

"First off, why did you tell Sumia of all people?" Robin asked.

"She flies a lot slower when we gossip," Gaius answered. "That, and I thought that she would be able to help us."

"Help us?" Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Look, everyone in the Shepherds, excluding Blue, knows just who Stumbles is in love with, right?" Gaius explained.

"I don't know," Lon'qu brought up.

"She's in love with Chrom, Lon'qu," Robin informed the warrior. "What's your point, Gaius?"

"Cordelia is in love with Blue too," Gaius continued on. "Now, normally, if two people want the same person, someone's going to end up with a broken heart. Stumbles doesn't want that to happen to Cordelia, even though she wants Chrom for herself. So, she's all for having you end up with her. Stumbles gets her man. Cordelia settles for second best. Everyone wins!"

"That actually might work out," Robin nodded in agreement slowly. "Maybe I judged you too soon."

"Bubbles, just like you have a plan for the war, I got a plan for having you live happily ever after once you win us this war," Gaius grinned.

"Well, actually, I've been so unfocused that I haven't had the time for any planning," Robin admitted.

"We cannot have that," Lon'qu stood up. "With me. Thief, watch over the princess, and do not steal from her."

"Geez, you break into a palace to rob the treasury, and no one lets you live it down," Gaius sighed. "You better go with him. I wouldn't want to be someone who gets on Q's bad side."

Robin nodded in agreement with Gaius' statement, although knew the alternative would not be much better. Despite the short time he knew Lon'qu, he already had a basic idea on what the warrior would want from him. Should he leave, the tactician would have to spar with his friend, who was more trained with the blade than he was. Still, with all of the flying and a tome in his possession, he understood that he needed to keep up with his training so he did not grow rusty. With a sigh, he stood up, and left the tavern.

The sun was setting in the distance and Lon'qu was hard at work preparing for their sparring session. He dragged his foot across a patch of snow, creating a large circle for them to spar in. In his hands, he held two wooden practice swords, one of which he held to Robin. The tactician hesitantly took the hilt of the blade and stepped into the circle. The warrior walked over to the other side of the circle, pacing in front of his comrade.

"Unlike previous times, we shall fight until one of us yields, steps out of the circle, or is knocked out," Lon'qu instructed. "Do not hold back on me."

"I suppose this means that you're not going to hold back on me?" Robin asked nervously.

"I'm holding back in the sense that I won't knock you out with a single blow," Lon'qu answered. "If you talk about your problems during our spar, I'm knocking you out."

"Fair enough," Robin chuckled despite his friend's threat.

"Then let's begin!"

Without hesitation, Lon'qu dashed towards Robin, ready to press the offensive. Robin was only able to take three steps away from the circle's edge before meeting his opponent in battle. Their blades matched against each other with a loud thud. The tactician had to sidestep to avoid the next blow from the warrior, and jumped back from the next. He took a deep breath, already starting to grow exhausted. Lon'qu was swift and aggressive, as always. Robin needed to defeat him swiftly.

When Lon'qu turned to him, Robin struck out blindly against his friend, lashing out with multiple strikes. While the warrior was focused on defending himself, the tactician knew the plan would not be enough to defeat him. It just needed to distract him long enough for him to come up with a plan. He had to rely on his superior intellect to overcome the skill of his opponent. Even under pressure, he was able to come up with a plan.

Just as he did, Lon'qu broke through the assault with his own attack. The practice sword slammed into Robin's gut, earning a gasp from the man. He regained his breath fast enough to turn around Lon'qu. His eyes were briefly blinded by the sun, but he did not falter while spinning around to face his opponent once more. Likewise, the warrior turned to face him, and was momentarily blinded by the sun. The tactician took advantage of the opening, swinging his wooden blade down on his foe's arm. The metal bracer took the brunt of the damage, but the force was enough for him to drop his sword.

"Yield, Lon'qu," Robin demanded.

"You caught me off-guard," Lon'qu grunted.

"I decided to use my smarts to win this battle," Robin told his friend. "Yield."

"Your smarts won't be enough," Lon'qu spat on the ground. "I refuse!"

Lon'qu held his arms in front of his chest, angling his bracers. Robin thought he was going to try fighting with his hands, but that was not the case. Instead, the tactician was blinded by the same sunlight he used, reflected off the metal bracers of his foe. In that moment, the warrior charged forward, slamming his shoulder straight into his foe. Although more swift than strong, he was still powerful enough to knock the weaker strategist out of the circle and into the snow.

"I shouldn't have let me guard down," Robin chuckled. "I'm glad we're not at war with Ferox."

"And I am far from the strongest," Lon'qu revealed, stepping out of the circle and towards Robin. "I am inexperienced, yet. Raw."

"I find that hard to believe," Robin lifted one hand up towards the warrior. "You're a beast! But I guess you got where you are now by being tough on yourself."

"No. Just truthful." Lon'qu grabbed onto Robin's hand with a firm grip. "If you saw what I have seen, if you saw him fight, you would know that I have a long way to go."

"You mean Khan Basilio?" Robin asked.

"His command of his weapon lends it a weight," Lon'qu lifted Robin back onto his feet. "A depth. I may as well be swinging a feather in comparison. Knowing his power, I would not dare call myself strong."

"But he's giving you something to strive for," Robin pointed out. "I'm envious, really."

"If you would grow stronger, find a paragon of your own to pursue," Lon'qu advised. "Meanwhile, if you wish to spar, you need only ask."

"I will, thanks."

Robin thought back on Lon'qu's words and saw the truth in his advice. If Lon'qu was such a great warrior due to Basilio being stronger, then he needed to find his paragon. Even though many of the Shepherds were stronger fighters than he was, nothing really stood out to him. Perhaps between planning out his war, dealing with Gaius, and pursuing Cordelia, he could look back in history to find a paragon. For now, he needed rest. Tomorrow, the Shepherds would march into Plegia and bring war to Gangrel's nation.

* * *

 **A/N: And that is the last of support conversations on the list. Took over a month to get here, but it's time to move on. Next time, the Shepherds march into Plegia!**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: Thoron is a useful tome, and will definitely be something to pull out of reserve once Robin's done with Thunder.**

 **MalevolentDarkness16: Baby steps indeed. Although who knows if Gaius will want him to take it slow now.**

 **Until next time.**


	18. Sands of Plegia

If the Shepherds were not in any rush, Robin would have insisted on delaying their incursion into Plegia until nightfall. The tactician understood that invading a desert kingdom during the day was the same as invading Ferox during winter. They passed through the border several hours ago, and although it was barely past midday, many of his comrades were exhausted. The sun showed no mercy to the invaders with its intensifying heat. He was unsure how they hoped to fare against the Plegians when the sun itself was against them, but as his job as the strategist of the Shepherds, he would find a way.

As they continued their march, Robin realized that he was faring better than the rest of the Shepherds. Much to his horror, his robes, despite being heavy with thick cloth, was designed to help combat the desert heat. This confirmed the suspicion he had: his clothing was from Plegia. The tactician was unsure of how to continue with this confirmed development. Chrom already had enough on his mind with saving Emmeryn, Frederick was just starting to trust him and he did not want to break that trust, and Gaius did not care about who his friend might be.

For now, Robin decided it would be in his best interest to focus on his job. With Chrom, he led the Shepherd's charge into Plegia across the barren desert. Frederick was leading scouts towards their destination to ensure it was tactician grew worried with each passing moment. Gangrel was a mad man, but he was no fool. He would not leave his borders undefended during war. Why have they yet to encounter any resistance into Plegia? There was no border guard. There were no scouts. There was just sand spanning for miles across.

Eventually, after hours of marching, the Shepherds saw the first signs of civilization: several merchant outposts. The townships and cities of Plegia were deeper inland, but independent merchants set up camp within the borders. They were certainly no friends of Gangrel, meaning that they could be trusted allies. At the very least, they could provide shelter for the Shepherds and help them accommodate for the fierce sun. Frederick rode out towards his comrades, his horse slowed down by the burning sand.

"I'd like to believe it's our cunning that got us this far without being spotted," Chrom sighed, his face red from the intense heat. "But we've seen far too little of the Plegian Guard. Where are they?"

"If Gangrel has a trap in mind, he would have sprung it," Robin commented. "Or perhaps he is waiting for us at the capital."

"Milord!" Frederick greeted upon his approach, dismounting from his horse. "There is some manner of engagement downfield. Robed men threaten two bystanders, and most likely, the merchants."

"Understood," Chrom nodded. "Get everyone ready to move."

"Most of our friends will be bogged down by the desert sands," Robin informed the group. "Thankfully, Miriel has finished with her spell. We can partner the mages with our ground troops, and with our pegasus knights, we could proceed mostly unhindered."

"Good to see you though ahead," Chrom smiled. "Discuss the strategy with the rest. We move in a few minutes."

Robin was fortunate to study the maps of the general region of their first stopping point before the battle. He had a general idea of where the encampments were, and knew who to send to each to make sure they were secured. Additionally, the tactician thought about who to pair up with who to ensure for an effective battle, and who to leave behind as to not leave behind the Shepherds. He turned to address the Shepherds, who gathered together in preparation for battle.

"We have three objectives," Robin started with his explanation. "Protect the merchants. Save the two bystanders. Route the threat. Naturally, the first two take priority. Miriel, you'll take Kellam and head to the closest camp . Cordelia and I will fly over to the second camp. Gaius and Sumia to the third. After the perimeter is secured, we may engage with the enemy directly. Ricken, you'll be in the backlines with Maribelle to get to our wounded. Chrom-"

"-and I will save the two out in the open and cut our way right to the bulk of their forces." Vaike declared, pulling out his axe. "I've been sittin' on the sidelines for too long!"

"That, except I had Lon'qu with Chrom," Robin corrected, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Where is Lon'qu?"

"He passed out about half a hour ago!" Lissa answered, pushing her way to the back. "Some bodyguard he is. Passing out because it's too hot."

"I suppose that being from a cold region such as Ferox makes him more vulnerable," Robin sighed. "Alright Teach. You're up."

"Don't be too mad when I snag more kills than you, Chrom," Vaike taunted with a grin.

"You're on," Chrom pulled out Falchion, ready to meet his challenge.

"Shepherds, move out!" Robin commanded.

The Shepherds he called for battle got ready for a fight against their enemy. Robin was quick to find Cordelia, who was already mounted upon Aurora. He climbed up behind her, pulling out his sword while she took flight. For a brief moment, Robin scanned the battlefield. The enemy was making their way towards the encampments and a duo in the middle of the desert. The bulk of their force was gathered on the other side, having completely surrounded the camp the tactician sent Gaius and Sumia.

"These aren't Gangrel's men," Cordelia noted. "There's a slight air about them. Maybe they're allied."

"We can worry about their identity later," Robin pointed towards the second encampment. "For now, we need to secure that camp so we can give Gaius and Sumia the back-up they need."

"Understood," Cordelia nodded. "Mind if we pick off the soldiers that are in our way?"

"Feel free," Robin replied. "The more we take down now, the less the others will have to fight."

After flying in the sky, Cordelia sent Aurora on a descent towards a lone warrior coming from the western hills. The duo gave him little time to react to their presence. Cordelia's lance impaled through his lower gut, immobilizing him. Robin swung out with his sword, catching him in the chest and sending him down to the ground. Two nearby mages lashed out with their magic but they were able to take to the skies to avoid their spells. The tactician was quick to note that one of the casters lashed out with Flux, dark magic. He stored that knowledge in the back of his mind for further analysis.

Their next target was, strangely enough, an armored man on horseback. An odd choice out in the desert. The soldier was occupied with the other Shepherds charging in to take notice of the pegasus knight's descent. Without hesitation, Cordelia jabbed her lance right through his back. The sneak attack pierced through his armor and sent him sprawled out on the ground. His horse galloped away, and the pair were fortunate enough to avoid further spells. Aurora went so far as to trample over one of the mages while taking flight.

"We're nearing the encampment!" Cordelia reported, her pegasus taking evasive action from more ranged magic. "How's the rest of the battle?"

"Good news is that the eastern flank is mostly cleared out," Robin reported. "Gaius and Sumia should proceed mostly unhindered now."

"And the bad news?" Cordelia asked.

"Most of the enemy is heading out to intercept Chrom," Robin told her. "Continue with the objective. Miriel can provide the others with backup for now."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Cordelia questioned.

"I wouldn't be worried about Chrom unless Vaike goes down," Robin advised. "He'll be fine!"

Cordelia looked hesitant for a moment, but ultimately, flew away from Chrom and the other Shepherds. Robin was somewhat worried for the others. Against his orders, Ricken was closer to the battle than he should be, and was injured. Likewise, Vaike was battered constantly by magic, which was possibly his one weakness. One of the strangers took action, protecting a young girl by holding off two mounted men with his sword. They could hold out for another minute at least.

The duo landed at the gates of the encampment just in time to stop a charging warrior. The warrior lunged with his axe which was blocked by Cordelia's lance. She proceeded to jab it into him with Robin going for the finish with his sword. The western flank was secured, but only through many of the Plegians charging in at the main bulk of the Shepherds.

"Village secured," Cordelia reported before taking to the skies. "Shall we join with Chrom?"

"It looks like they don't need it," Robin noted. "Push forward to finish off the stragglers."

Cordelia was quick to see that Chrom and those under his command were well. Their attackers were defeated thanks to the timely aid of Miriel and Kellam. Maribelle now tended to Vaike's injuries while they prepared for a charge. Strangely enough, it was the two strangers leading the charge. Robin noted that they could be future recruits while they flew to finish off the final three attackers, who stood defiantly despite the overwhelming odds.

They came to a landing by the large oasis, where a warrior armed with an axe stood in their way. He missed with his weapon and was swiftly cut down by Cordelia's lance. Towards the east, Sumia and Gaius worked together to defeat a swordsman, and moved to engage the commander, a vile spellcaster. Even though he was surrounded and outgunned, he held his ground, confidently chanting.

Before Robin could give the command, the commander lashed out with dark magic at Sumia. Yet, the pegasus knight endured its effects while Gaius hopped off her pegasus. She jabbed her lance into the dark mage, pushing him back. Not giving him time to cast another spell, Gaius charged forward and slashed out with his blade. Not only did he deliver a sharp injury to the man, but he cut through the dark tome that held his power. Sumia threw her lance as a spear, putting an end to the battle once and for all.

"And that's the last of them," Cordelia sighed in relief.

"Gaius had a good idea when it came to partnering the pegasus knights," Robin concluded. "Even though his motivation may not be tactical."

"What are you saying?" Cordelia looked over her shoulder.

"Nothing," Robin quickly told her.

"Ha, the evil people are now dead people!" a loud voice boomed. "This is good, no?"

Robin was thankful for the distraction, and looked back alongside Cordelia. He now had a clear vision of the two strangers. Leading the way was the swordsman, a tall and bulky man with orange hair. His armor was crafted to accommodate the desert heat and he looked as if he had decades of experience. Behind him was the girl, who definitely looked out of place. She was short with long green hair, pointed ears, and a choice of wardrobe that Robin thought may have been too less, even in the desert.

"You can say that again!" Vaike joined in on the cheer, he and Chrom approaching. "After days on bedrest and all that marching, ol' Teach needed to get his blood pumpin'!"

"You're right," the girl, who was upset earlier, broke out into a playful smile. "Thank you. And, I'm sorry I was so mean to you earlier. I just get nervous around people who are outside my age group."

"Ha, you're age group?" the man asked, keeping the same enthusiasm as before. "Gregor much closer to your age than others here!"

"Quite the pair," Robin noted when he dismounted. "Cordelia, get Sumia and Gaius to rejoin the rest of the Shepherds. Relay our victory."

"I'm on it!" Cordelia flew off swiftly as commanded.

"Say, um, Gregor, was it?" Chrom and Robin walked up to the pair at the same time,. "Gregor, do you mind looking after her? We need to press on."

"Gregor is mercenary, yes?" the warrior, Gregor, took a moment to think. "Maybe you hire Gregor instead. True, Gregor just finished killing former employers, but still very reliable! So long as you not try to hurt little girl, Gregor will not hurt you."

"I feel sorry for the poor sap who tries to hurt the girl who can transform into a dragon!" Vaike holstered his axe behind Chrom. "She can help us, Chrom!"

"She can turn into a dragon?!" Robin raised an eyebrow. "Just how much did I miss?"

"You missed lots," Gregor waved his hand dismissively at Robin. "Girl is Nowi. Gregor is Gregor. Also, Gregor need steady income. Many angry former employers."

"So, we have a girl who can transform into dragons," Robin started.

"Manakete," Nowi spoke up.

"...and a sellsword," Robin continued

"Very swell sword!" Gregor nodded. "Cost performance very high. You have Gregor's word."

"Robin?" Chrom looked over to his trusted tactician.

"If we can afford it, we could take all of the help we can get," Robin nodded.

"Then you're hired," Chrom turned back to Gregor and Nowi. "You can also join us, Nowi. We can use the strength of a Manakete."

"Thank you," Nowi closed her eyes, tearing up. "This is much better than going back to the auction block."

"Hold on," Robin raised a hand. "You've been sold? Like a slave?"

"To men more despicable than you can possibly imagine," Nowi nodded, rubbing her eyes. "They made me transform for them. They drank and laughed and called out tricks…"

"What kind of scumbags would buy a little girl!" Vaike stomped a foot down on the ground. "Even if she can turn into a dragon."

"She looks like little girl, but not young," Gregor shook his head. "She is manakete. Live for long time."

"He's right," Nowi told the group, drying up the tears she had. "I'm like, a thousand and something, but with no wrinkles!"

Robin's mind was capable of coming up with battle plans on the fly. However, when it came to the duo, he was at a lost of words. From Gregor's primitive speech pattern to Nowi's childlike attitude despite her age was enough to keep him thinking. Part of the tactician now wished he followed Chrom into battle, if only to hear about the story when it was first told. Then again, it could prove to be a distraction while he was fighting for his life.

"Need to protect her from Grimleal," Gregor told the group. "Very dangerous."

"Beg pardon, but who are the Grimleal?" Robin asked, questioning if he would regret asking Gregor a question about his employers.

"Follow fallen dragon, Grima," Gregor shrugged.

"Grima was the dragon the first exalt defeated a thousand years ago," Chrom told his friend. "It appears that even today, there are some who yearn for the fiend's return."

"I see," Robin took a moment to think. "Is that even possible."

"I wouldn't think so," Chrom assured his friend. "Well, shall we get some rest?"

"We will need all of our strength for the Plegian capital," Robin nodded. "While you handle the negotiations with the merchants, I can debrief the Shepherds and introduce Gregor and Nowi to the others."

"Sounds like a fair plan," Chrom nodded in agreement.

"And don't forget our wager," Vaike grinned while walking off. "I did take down more than you did."

Robin smirked upon hearing Chrom sigh out in disappointment. The tactician made sure to tease his friend a little about the wager, but at a later time. For now, he had to focus on getting the rest of the Shepherds settled in. The Grimleal's involvement in the war meant bad news for their invading force. The tactician was unsure on how to account for a cult that hid in the shadows in his plans. For now, they were best off worrying about saving Emmeryn at the capital in the coming days.

* * *

 **A/N: And now, the story takes us into Plegia, with the Shepherds ready to bring the war to Gangrel.**

 **Warrior of Six Blades: I thought it would be best to continue identifying the differences between Robin and Gaius when it came to love. And Robin's growing swordsmanship skill may very well save his life one day, thanks to Lon'qu acting as his teacher.**

 **Until next time.**


End file.
